GIFT 


\ 


THE  HOMELY  DIARY  OF 
A  DIPLOMAT  IN  THE  EAST 


Mrs.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison 


THE  HOMELY  DIARY 

OF 

A  DIPLOMAT  IN  THE  EAST 

1897-1899 

BY 

THOMAS  SKELTON  HARRISON 

Former  Diplomatic  Agent  and  Consul-General  of  the  United  States 
to  the  Khediviai  Court  of  Cairo,  Egypt 

WITH  A  FOREWORD  BY 

SARA  YORKE  STEVENSON,  Sc.D.,  Lirr.D. 

Qfficier  d' 'Instruction  Publique 

AND  WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON  AND   NEW  YORK 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

<$fr  ttiterlibe  prcjtf  CambriDoe 
1917 


COPYRIGHT,   1917,    BY  THOMAS  SKELTON  HARRISON 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 

Published  December  iQtj 


cvJo-^^tCMj 


TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  MY  WIFE 
LOUISE    HARVEY    HARRISON 


FOREWORD 

IT  was  in  the  spring  of  1915  that  Colonel  Thomas  Skel- 
ton  Harrison,  whose  long  friendship  it  has  been  my  privi- 
lege to  enjoy,  while  chatting  with  me  about  the  old  Cairo 
days,  confided  to  me  that  he  had  kept  a  diary  in  which  as 
he  went  along  he  had  jotted  down  facts  and  impressions 
as  to  the  men  and  events  with  which  he  had  been  con- 
nected in  the  course  of  his  two  years'  residence  in  the  old 
Khedivial  capital. 

It  so  happened  that  in  1898  I  had  been  sent  by  the 
American  Exploration  Society  of  Philadelphia,  with 
strong  letters  from  the  State  Department  at  Washington, 
to  negotiate  for  a  permit  to  work  over  the  ruins  of  Tanis, 
in  the  Eastern  Delta,  and  to  obtain  the  right  to  remove 
to  Philadelphia  some  of  the  large  monuments  still  strewn 
over  the  site  of  the  Hycksos  City.  Mr.  Daniel  Baugh  was 
ready  to  charter  a  ship  to  bring  over  the  results,  and  it 
was  thought  that  if  I  went  myself  I  might,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Mr.  Harrison,  then  our  Consul-General  and  Dip- 
lomatic Agent  in  Cairo,  overcome  some  of  the  obstacles 
expected  to  be  raised  against  the  project. 

Mr.  Harrison,  in  his  official  capacity  of  Consul-General 
and  Diplomatic  Agent,  had  made  himself  persona  grata  to 
the  Khedive  and  his  Government,  and  we  could  count 
upon  his  heartiest  cooperation  as  a  Philadelphian  as  well 
as  a  personal  friend.  Through  his  gracious  hospitality 
that  winter  I  had  met  many  of  his  Cairo  circle  of  friends 
and  colleagues,  and  his  diary  and  reminiscences  interested 
me  greatly. 


viii  FOREWORD 

After  talking  over  many  things,  he  suggested,  in  the 
most  modest  way,  that  I  look  it  over,  and,  if  I  thought  it 
of  sufficient  interest,  that  I  select  from  it  what  I  should 
think  suitable  for  publication.  Mrs.  Harrison,  when  she 
was  told  about  it,  also  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  idea; 
and  before  she  and  her  husband  went  to  their  summer 
home  at  Pomfret  for  the  season,  Mr.  Harrison  left  the 
volumes  of  typewritten  manuscript  at  my  house,  and  it 
was  agreed  that  I  should  go  over  them  at  my  leisure  during 
the  summer.  Plans  often  go  astray.  Things  happened, 
and  it  was  only  in  August  that  I  found  time  to  take  up  the 
manuscript. 

Then,  however,  the  simple  narrative  of  those  old  days  of 
pomp  and  glitter,  when  great  personages  who  were  mak- 
ing history  seemed  daily  associates,  and  big  international 
schemes  took  the  place  of  small  local  interests,  fascinated 
me,  bringing  back  personal  memories.  For  during  the 
weeks  I  spent  in  Cairo  at  the  very  height  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Harrison's  brilliant  career  as  representatives  of  the  United 
States,  they  most  generously  shared  with  me  many  of 
their  good  things,  and  I  could  read  between  the  lines  of 
the  diary  much  that  the  writer  had  not  put  down.  Soon 
I  became  quite  absorbed  in  the  work. 

One  night,  late  on  the  6th  of  September,  a  strong  feeling 
came  over  me  that  I  should  write  next  day  to  Mr.  Harri- 
son to  suggest  certain  additions  in  elucidation  of  the  iden- 
tity of  important  personages  possibly  unfamiliar  to  an 
American  public,  but  whose  personality  as  factors  in  inter- 
national affairs  must  be  made  to  appear.  The  next  day  I 
received  a  telegram  [from  my  broken-hearted  friend,  an- 
nouncing the  sudden  death  of  his  wife. 

As  Mrs.  Harrison  was  the  one  who  most  loved  Cairo 


FOREWORD  ix 

and  the  life  and  position  which  she  had  graced  so  well, 
for  a  while  the  entire  plan  was  suspended.  Mr.  Harrison 
felt  that  there  no  longer  was  any  meaning  in  the  work. 
With  time,  however,  he  came  to  look  upon  it  from  another 
angle.  There  was  no  longer  any  joy  in  it,  but  was  it  not 
a  pleasure  —  if  a  sad  one  —  to  re-live  those  happy  days 
which  Mrs.  Harrison  had  so  truly  enjoyed?  To  rehearse 
those  scenes  of  brilliant  splendor  in  which  she  had  played 
her  part  and  had  her  share? 

The  years  she  spent  in  Cairo  were  probably  the  pleas- 
antest  years  of  Mrs.  Harrison's  life.  She  may  have  had 
happier  days;  but  I  doubt  whether  her  life  ever  was  so 
crowded  with  interesting  experiences.  They  were  a  great 
tax  on  her  strength,  as  she  was  a  most  conscientious  offi- 
cial hostess,  and  she  never  allowed  her  feelings  to  interfere 
with  her  official  duties;  but  I  cannot  believe  that  Mrs. 
Harrison,  in  looking  back  upon  those  wonderful  years, 
felt  that  the  price  had  been  too  high  for  the  pleasure  which 
she  had  derived  from  the  effort. 

Often  she  reverted  to  her  memories  of  those  days,  when 
her  associates,  Lord  and  Lady  Cromer,  Sir  Elwin  and 
Lady  Palmer,  Sir  William  Garstin,  and  other  remarkable 
Englishmen  such  as  General  Kitchener,  Slatin  Pasha, 
Major-General  Sir  Francis  and  Lady  Grenfell,  and  many 
more,  were  making  a  new  Egypt.  Great  business  schemes, 
such  as  the  building  of  the  great  dam  at  Assuan,  the  great 
deals  with  Philadelphia  firms  for  locomotives  and  for  the 
Atbara  Bridge,  and  other  ventures  connected  with  the  re- 
conquest  of  the  Sudan,  filled  the  air  and  brought  to  Cairo 
the  important  men  of  all  countries.  Mrs.  Harrison's  fa- 
miliars then  were  Count  and  Countess  della  Sala  —  the 
latter  born  Princess  Gagarine,  a  most  agreeable  Russian 


x  FOREWORD 

woman  of  the  world,  who  knew  every  one  and  everything, 
and  who  had  her  place  at  the  Khedivial  table  whenever 
she  chose  to  occupy  it.  Countess  Montjoie  was  another 
friend  with  whom  and  with  her  husband  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Harrison  kept  up  the  friendship  made  at  the  time,  and 
in  the  following  pages  will  be  found  many  names  of  per- 
sonages who  remained  their  good  friends. 

Egypt  then,  being  technically  a  dependency  of  Turkey, 
was  not  entitled  to  a  legation.  But  there  was  no  point  at 
that  time  where  more  important  affairs  and  combinations 
of  interests  were  involved.  The  result  was  that  the  Euro- 
pean Powers,  especially  England,  kept  their  eyes  closely 
set  upon  Cairo,  and  sent  some  of  their  strongest  men  to 
represent  their  interests,  political  and  financial,  who,  un- 
der the  relatively  humble  title  of  Diplomatic  Agent  and 
Consul-General,  played  an  important  role  in  European 
affairs. 

In  the  course  of  the  winter  Egypt  became  a  political 
stage,  across  which  passed  a  procession  of  international 
summities.  The  social  life  naturally  was  filled  with  the 
electric  current  that  makes  the  atmosphere  of  society  in 
the  great  capitals  so  intensely  stimulating.  The  Spanish 
War  in  1898  also  added  to  the  importance  of  the  United 
States  representative. 

Through  all  this  Mrs.  Harrison,  with  her  sweet,  kindly 
disposition,  her  hospitable  doors  wide  open  to  all,  with 
her  lavish  entertainments  and  her  cordial  manner,  made 
herself  most  popular  with  the  greatest  of  Government 
officials,  whether  European  or  Turk,  while  she  and  her 
husband  endeared  themselves  to  their  own  countrymen. 
Most  charmingly  did  Mrs.  Harrison  do  the  honors  of  her 
official  residence,  and  she  left  many  warm  friends  when 


FOREWORD  xi 

the  time  came  for  her  and  her  husband  to  depart.  Many 
were  the  letters  received  by  Mr.  Harrison  at  the  time 
of  her  death;  and  a  touching  note  from  Lord  Cromer,  with 
whom  relations  in  Cairo  had  been  especially  close  in  those 
days  long  ago,  was  especially  valued. 

After  all  the  glitter  of  this  most  glittering  of  capitals, 
she  and  Mr.  Harrison  returned  home  quite  unspoiled  and 
adapted  themselves  to  the  old  familiar  Philadelphia  ways 
with  renewed  pleasure  in  their  old  friends. 

As  Mr.  Harrison's  diary  was  so  full  of  Mrs.  Harrison's 
presence,  it  seemed  almost  a  sacred  duty  to  take  up  its 
publication,  and  to  preserve  in  some  permanent  form  the 
memory  of  those  days  as  a  tribute  to  her.  It  is  thus  that 
I  was  entrusted  once  more  with  the  collecting  of  the  mate- 
rial now  given  to  the  public,  cutting  out  the  unimportant 
and  adding  such  notes  as  may  serve  to  elucidate  passages 
which  might  not  be  clear  to  those  who  are  unfamiliar  with 
life  in  Egypt  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

SARA  YORKE  STEVENSON. 
PHILADELPHIA, 
October,  1917. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

MRS.  THOMAS  SKELTON  HARRISON Frontispiece 

THOMAS  SKELTON  HARRISON      ........  1 

PRINCE  SAID  TUSSUN 6 

LORD  CROMER  IN  1898 10 

THE  KING  OF  SIAM  WITH  THE  KHEDIVE  AND  HIS  COURT.  20 

LADY  CROMER 32 

GENERAL  KITCHENER 36 

JUDGE  SOMERVILLE  PINKNEY  TUCK 44 

GHAZI  MUKHTAR  PASHA 50 

PRINCE  HUSSEIN  KAMEL,  SULTAN  OF  EGYPT  SINCE  1914     .  68 

GENERAL  SIR  FRANCIS  GRENFELL 76 

MUSTAPHA  FEHMY  PASHA 78 

SIR  ELWIN  PALMER 82 

BOUTROS  PASHA  GHALI 92 

BARON  OPPENHEIM 110 

SMOKING-ROOM 114 

"BAY  HARRISON"  AND  JACK  FERO 116 

ANTE-SALON 118 

THE  UNITED  STATES  AGENCY  AND  CONSULATE-GENERAL     .  120 

OFFICE  OF  THE  AGENT 122 

PRINCE  OSMAN 126 

TIGRANE  PASHA 134 

"SOLEMN  AUDIENCE"  PROCESSION  .                                        .  144 


xiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

MRS.  CORNELIUS  STEVENSON     .      .      .      .      .      .  '  '.      .  148 

PRINCESS  NASELI .  150 

HUSSEIN  FAKHRI  PASHA 152 

PRINCE  MEHEMET  ALI 156 

ABBAS  HILMI,  KHEDIVE  OF  EGYPT  UNTIL  1914        .      •      .  170 

MAZLOUM  PASHA 198 

RIAZ  PASHA 218 

THE  PROCESSION  OF  THE  MAHMAL:  FIRST  VIEW  .  .  .  232 
THE  PROCESSION  OF  THE  MAHMAL:  SECOND  VIEW  .  .  .  234 
AHMED  PASHA  NACHAAT  .........  256 

STARTING  FOR  THE  KHEDIVE'S  RECEPTION 274 

SLATIN  PASHA  (BARON  RUDOLF  CARL  SLATIN)  ....  282 

LORD  LONSDALE 292 

REVIEW  OF  BRITISH  TROOPS:  THE  TWENTY-FIRST  LANCERS  296 
GENERAL  SIR  FRANCIS  REGINALD  WINGATE  .  .  .  .310 
MAJOR-GENERAL  HON.  SIR  REGINALD  TALBOT  .  .  .  314 

MRS.  THOMAS  SKELTON  HARRISON 320 

From  the  painting  by  D.  Sani,  Florence 

THOMAS  SKELTON  HARRISON  IN  THE  UNIFORM  OF  A  LIEU- 
TENANT-COMMANDER, UNITED  STATES  NAVY  ....  324 


INTRODUCTION 

IN  1898  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  seemed  to  be  popular 
with  all  classes  of  his  subjects.  Every  day  in  the  season 
he  rode  from  Abdin  Palace  to  the  railway  station.  His 
way  lay  through  the  narrow  and  rather  shabby  Sharia 
Abdin.  He  drove  in  an  open  carriage  with  an  escort  of 
cavalry  in  front  and  rear.  The  people  stood  and  saluted 
as  he  passed,  greetings  which  he  returned  in  a  pleasant 
manner.  Although  by  no  means  as  handsome  as  his 
brother,  the  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  the  Khedive  was  yet  a 
very  prepossessing  young  man. 

The  birth  of  the  young  Prince,  Abdul  Munaim,  was  a 
source  of  great  delight  to  the  Khedive.  He  had  ardently 
longed  for  a  male  heir,  and  now  the  wish  of  his  heart  was 
realized.  He  undoubtedly  intended  that  this  young  Prince 
should  succeed  him  on  the  throne.1  The  advent  of  the 
prince  heritier,  as  he  was  called,  somewhat  complicated  the 
situation  from  the  English  point  of  view.  Had  the  Khe- 
dive died  leaving  no  male  issue,  it  would  not  have  been  so 
difficult  to  declare  the  dynasty  extinct. 

The  person  most  affected  pecuniarily  was  the  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali,  who,  as  I  have  observed,  is  the  Khedive's 
brother.  The  arrival  of  the  heir  cut  down  the  allowances 
of  the  Prince  materially.  He  was  a  young  man,  of  cosmo- 
politan tastes,  and  he  must  have  felt  some  embarrassment 
at  the  curtailment  of  his  revenues.  He  was  deemed  one  of 
the  handsomest  young  men  in  Egypt,  and  he  certainly  was 

1  Recent  events  in  Egypt  have  made  such  a  hope  remote.  (1917.)  (EDITOR.) 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

good-looking.  Everything  about  him  was  highly  elegant. 
He  wore  his  tarbouche  cocked  at  a  very  fetching  angle, 
while  his  clothes  were  of  the  latest  fashion.  He  lived  in  a 
splendid  palace  in  the  heart  of  the  capital.  His  taste  for 
horseflesh  was  well  known,  and  he  tooled  a  coach  like  an 
expert.  In  manner,  he  was  very  agreeable.  At  the  ball  given 
in  honor  of  the  newly  born  prince  heritier,  Mehemet  Ali 
received  the  guests  and  conducted  himself  like  a  man  who 
had  had  his  income  doubled  rather  than  halved. 

The  Prince,  according  to  one  view  of  the  matter,  would 
not  have  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  Egypt  in  any  event, 
because  the  Sultan's  firman  of  1866  grants  succession 
downward  in  the  main  branch,  and  not  laterally.  This 
interpretation  of  the  firman,  however,  has  been  in  dis- 
pute. The  title  of  Khedive,  itself,  was  but  of  recent  date, 
dating  only  from  1867.  The  word  is  of  Persian  origin;  it 
is  accented  on  the  second  syllable  and  means  "sovereign." 
The  bearer  of  the  title  was  strictly  a  tributary  vassal  of 
the  Sublime  Porte,  and  paid  an  annual  sum  to  the  Sultan. 
The  Khedive  Ismail  had  most  exalted  notions  of  the  ab- 
solute character  of  his  office.  This  Khedive  was  succeeded 
in  1879  by  his  son,  Tewfik  I.  The  death  of  the  latter  made 
way  for  his  son,  the  last  Khedive,  His  Highness  Abbas 
Hilmi.1 

The  natives  of  the  country  had  but  a  vague  idea  of  the 
real  relation  of  their  young  sovereign  to  the  British  Gov- 
ernment. The  Pashas  and  high  officials,  of  course,  knew 
that  Lord  Cromer's  will  was  law,  but  the  people  generally 
were  unaware  of  the  fact.  Indeed,  Abbas  Hilmi  was  him- 
self ignorant  of  the  true  state  of  affairs  when  he  ascended 

1  Recently  deposed  and  replaced  by  Sultan  Hussein  Kamel.  See  note,  p. 
xxii.  (EorroB.) 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

the  throne.  The  attitude  of  Lord  Gromer  opened  the  eyes 
of  the  Khedive,  it  is  said,  in  a  very  disagreeable  way. 
When  the  Khedive  saw  that  he  was  helpless  and  must  sub- 
mit, he  turned  to  the  French.  They  were  not  able  to  help 
him.  Abbas  Hilmi  was,  therefore,  in  the  position  of  a  man 
who  waited  for  something  to  turn  up.  He  was  inclined 
to  be  enlightened  and  progressive,  and  it  is  possible  he 
might  have  taken  no  backward  steps  had  he  been  freed 
from  English  control.  But  the  control  itself,  according 
to  the  views  of  the  Nationalists,  was  galling  to  a  man  of 
his  spirit,  readily  as  he  must  himself  admit  the  unques- 
tioned good  wrought  by  England  in  Egypt. 

Every  problem  connected  with  the  government  of  a 
colony  can  be  studied  at  leisure  in  Egypt.  Not  one  ques- 
tion arising  out  of  our  administration  in  the  Philippines 
and  Cuba  has  not  presented  itself  to  the  English  in  the 
land  of  the  Khedive. 

Our  British  cousins  take  the  position  that  the  Oriental 
races  are  not  to  be  put  on  a  level  with  Western  peoples. 
It  would  appear  that  the  English  have  but  little  intention 
of  educating  the  Egyptians  up  to  self-government.  They 
admit,  frankly,  that  at  present  the  thing  is  out  of  the 
question  and  not  to  be  attempted.  Therefore,  their  plan 
of  government  is  wholly  pro-consular.  Unless  a  funda- 
mental change  of  policy  occurs  or  the  Egyptians  them- 
selves by  force  or  ability  compel  it,  the  world  may  never 
witness  self-government  in  Egypt  as  we  understand  the 
term. 

Lord  Cromer,  with  the  Cabinet  in  London  behind  him, 
was  the  source  of  all  authority.  The  government  was 
divided  among  various  departments.  The  real  head  of 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

each  of  the  great  departments  usually  was  a  British  sub- 
ject, known  as  Under-Secretary,  although  many  French- 
men occupied  posts  of  great  responsibility.  The  idea  ever 
in  Lord  Cromer's  mind  was  to  have  a  few  Europeans  at 
the  head  of  affairs  under  an  Egyptian  or  Turkish  figure- 
head, and  with  almost  every  subordinate  post  occupied 
by  a  native.  The  scheme  worked  well.  Dozens,  nay,  hun- 
dreds, of  young  men  came  out  from  England,  to  Egypt, 
in  the  hope  of  securing  a  comfortable  berth.  They  brought 
good  references  and  had  strong  influences  behind  them, 
but  they  were  not  encouraged.  There  are,  to  be  sure,  many 
young  fellows  from  England  in  the  Egyptian  service,  but 
they  have  been  appointed  only  when  native  talent  was 
absolutely  unavailable. 

The  natives  have  been  quick  to  perceive  and  to  take 
advantage  of  the  vast  opportunities  afforded  by  such  a 
policy.  At  first  they  could  not  grasp  the  idea  that  ability 
and  merit  were  the  basis  of  a  career  in  the  public  service. 
They  have  been  convinced  by  experience,  however,  and 
to-day  hundreds  of  natives  are  in  responsible  positions 
who  under  the  old  system  of  things  might  be  barefooted 
fellaheen. 

The  results  of  this  policy  greatly  encouraged  Lord 
Cromer  and  the  believers  in  his  system.  The  creation  of  a 
civil  service  based  upon  merit  has  been  a  blessing  to  the 
Egyptians  in  many  ways.  For  one  thing,  it  destroys  the 
native  belief  that  government  is  an  inevitable  evil.  The 
Egyptians  are  grasping  the  idea  that  the  Government  is 
an  institution  which  can  be  made  to  subserve  their  inter- 
ests in  many  ways.  I  wrote  in  my  diary  in  1898:  "I  be- 
lieve it  would  be  impossible  to  get  up  a  rebellion  against 
the  Government  among  the  fellaheen  and  the  working 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

population  of  the  town.  I  do  not  mean  that  the  masses 
love  the  Government  —  I  simply  mean  that  they  do  not 
hate  it.  In  Egypt,  this  means  that  a  vast  change  has  been 
brought  about."  l 

Although  the  English  aimed  at  nothing  like  democracy 
in  Egypt,  they  did  look  forward  to  the  creation  of  a  legis- 
lative branch  of  the  Government  based  upon  restricted 
suffrage.  They  created  a  sort  of  legislative  council  with 
advisory  powers.  The  members  of  this  body  were  ap- 
pointed from  the  upper  classes  and  they  acquitted  them- 
selves creditably  as  legislators. 

The  Turks,  Pashas,  the  upper  classes,  now  Egyptians, 
that  may  be  embraced  in  the  words,  "the  governing  peo- 
ple," considered  themselves  victims  of  the  insincerity  of 
England  in  matters  that  pertained  to  Egypt.  An  idea  of 
their  point  of  view  was  imparted  to  me  by  a  distinguished 
visitor,  of  whom  I  have  spoken  under  date  of  November 
22, 1897,  and  who  called  upon  me  not  long  after  my  arrival 
in  Cairo.  This  personage  was  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  the 
official  representative  of  the  Sublime  Porte  at  the  Court 
of  the  Khedive.  I  had  from  this  gentleman's  lips  a  choice 
morsel  of  diplomatic  history. 

From  his  statement  it  would  appear  that  in  or  about 
1885,  England  and  Turkey  came  to  an  agreement  on  the 
subject  of  the  evacuation  of  Egypt.  A  treaty  was  drawn 
up  and  formally  approved  by  the  Ambassadors  of  both 
Powers.  The  document  was  sent  to  London,  and,  after 
some  days  of  deliberation,  the  Queen  signed  it.  When  the 
paper  in  due  time  was  placed  before  the  Sultan,  he  made 

1  The  event  has  proved  the  above  prediction  to  be  correct.  The  alliance  of 
German  and  Turk,  working  upon  the  fanaticism  and  race  feeling  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, has  failed  to  arouse  serious  disaffection.  (EDITOR.) 


xx  INTRODUCTION 

some  objections  to  it.  If  I  am  not  in  error,  the  English 
had  made  every  arrangement  to  get  out  of  Egypt.  They 
were  much  embarrassed  at  the  Sultan's  hesitation.  That 
monarch  persisted  in  delay,  although  what  his  real  reason 
was  I  never  could  learn.  It  was  said  to  be  due  to  French 
influence.  The  matter  dragged  on,  month  after  month, 
nor  did  the  pressure  brought  to  bear  by  the  English  Am- 
bassador at  Constantinople  suffice  to  move  the  Sultan. 
One  day,  however,  when  some  six  months  had  elapsed,  the 
Sultan  actually  signed  the  treaty.  He  was  about  forty- 
eight  hours  too  late.  The  English  Cabinet  had  made  up 
its  mind  to  stay  in  Egypt. 

The  Turks  were  overcome  with  amazement.  They 
pointed  to  the  Queen's  signature  at  the  foot  of  the  treaty. 
The  English  retorted  that  the  long  delay  in  the  ratifica- 
tion had  practically  abrogated  the  agreement. 

I  frequently  met  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  who  was  the 
official  representative  of  the  Sublime  Porte  in  this  matter, 
and  who  could  be  induced  to  talk  of  it  only  reluctantly, 
as  for  nearly  thirteen  years  he  had  been  in  Egypt  as  the 
representative  of  Turkish  sovereignty  —  practically  exiled, 
as  he  put  it,  from  his  native  land.  So  long  as  the  present 
situation  endured,  he  said,  the  Sultan  would  maintain 
a  mission  to  the  Khedive,  as  the  living  embodiment  of 
Turkish  ascendency.  I  learn  he  has,  since  my  departure 
from  Egypt,  sent  to  the  Sultan  his  resignation  and  that 
he  positively  declined  to  serve  longer. 

Ghazi  Mukhtar  impressed  me  favorably.  He  was  a  man 
of  sixty-five  or  seventy  years,  well  preserved,  swarthy, 
like  the  darker  Turks,  and  wore  both  beard  and  mustache. 
He  lived  in  a  handsome  palace,  the  structure  being  sur- 
rounded by  high  walls  which  completely  concealed  it  from 


INTRODUCTION  xxi 

view.  He  always  walked  by  the  side  of  the  Khedive  in  all 
public  ceremonies  and  generally  conducted  himself,  as 
by  right  he  should,  as  the  equal  of  His  Highness,  from  the 
fact  that  he  was  the  embodiment  of  Turkish  sovereignty. 
His  manner  had  the  charm  of  simplicity  —  or  of  its  con- 
summate affectation.  He  is,  I  should  judge,  highly  edu- 
cated, although  not  cultured  in  the  sense  of  the  word 
known  to  us. 

I  once  asked  Mukhtar  if  "Lord  Gromer  had  any  hand 
in  the  refusal  of  England,"  because  I  wished  to  learn  his 
opinion  of  the  great  Englishman.  He  looked  at  me  and 
made  a  gesture  without  saying  anything.  I  could  not  get 
him  to  express  an  opinion  in  words  on  the  subject,  but  he 
was  quick  to  express  his  liking  and  admiration.  This  is  a 
noteworthy  characteristic  of  Arab  and  Turk  where  Lord 
Cromer  is  concerned.  They  cannot  help  admiring  him, 
even  though  they  may  fear  him.  It  was  beyond  my  power 
to  extract  from  any  Mohammedan  in  Egypt  an  opinion 
of  Lord  Cromer  as  an  official.  They  look  volumes  at  men- 
tion of  his  name,  but  they  say  not  a  word.  I  was  given 
to  understand  later  that  the  Turks  are  distrustful  even 
of  Americans  who  happen  to  be  invested  with  a  diplo- 
matic character.  They  consider  our  country  greatly  in- 
fluenced by,  and  over-friendly  to,  England.  This  cue  is 
given  them,  it  would  seem,  from  the  Sultan  himself,  who 
is  much  annoyed  at  the  persistence  of  our  Government 
in  pushing  claims  against  the  Sublime  Porte.  Had  I  been 
a  Frenchman,  perhaps  my  Turkish  friends  might  have 
confided  to  me  precisely  what  they  thought  of  Lord 
Cromer. 

In  times  past  there  were  various  ways  in  which  the 
Khedive  could  make  himself  annoying  to  the  English  in 


xxii  INTRODUCTION 

Egypt.  He  created  what  might  be  called  a  Turkish  party. 
The  leading  officials  —  that  is,  the  Arabs  —  paid  him  a 
great  deal  of  attention  and  strained  points  in  his  favor. 
This  was  because  he  gave  them  to  understand  that  the 
English  might  yet  be  driven  out  of  Egypt.  How  he  could 
establish  this  possibility,  I  have  never  been  able  to  learn. 
But  do  it  he  could  and  did,  and  there  it  dangled  before 
the  native  mind,  in  potential  warning  of  what  might  be 
expected  in  the  event  of  British  evacuation.  The  native 
Pashas  have  had  some  vague  notion  that  the  Powers 
might  ultimately  combine  to  drive  England  away  from 
Cairo.1 

The  telephone  had  established  itself  in  Cairo  in  1898, 
but  the  typewriter  had  not.  There  was  an  admirable  police 
force  and  there  was  a  public-school  system,  but  there  were 
no  sewers.  These  were  the  gaps  which  bring  one  to  a 
realization  of  what  Cairo  really  is.  It  is  the  largest  city 
in  all  Africa  — 450,000  to  500,000  being  the  estimated 
population. 

The  civilization  of  the  place,  so  far  as  it  has  any,  leaves 
nothing  to  be  desired.  The  hotels  are  unsurpassed  in  the 
world.  Railway  and  telegraph  service  are  at  command. 
Even  the  department  store  has  made  its  appearance, 
while  walls,  fences,  and  even  relics  of  the  Mohammedan 

1  The  Khedive  and  his  brother,  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  had  been  brought  up 
and  educated  in  Vienna,  Austria.  Their  inclinations,  therefore,  were  entirely 
toward  the  Teutonic  interests.  It  is  worth  while  to  bear  this  in  mind  if  one 
wishes  to  understand  the  antagonism  which  the  British,  who  were  developing 
his  country,  met  at  the  Khedive's  hands;  and  the  subsequent  behavior  of  the 
young  Princes  when  war  broke  out  in  the  summer  of  1914,  resulting  in  the 
downfall  of  the  Khedive  and  the  elevation  of  Hussein  Kamel  Pasha  as  Sultan 
of  Egypt,  he  being  the  eldest  living  Prince  of  the  family  of  Mehemet  Ali,  and 
now  reigning  under  the  English  Protectorate.  It  is  possible  that,  after  the  war, 
he  will  become  Caliph  of  Islam,  which  title  for  many  centuries  was  vested 
in  Egypt  and  was  seized  by  the  Turkish  sovereign  in  1517.  (EDITOR.) 


INTRODUCTION  xxiii 

past  begin  to  be  adorned  with  announcements  regarding 
the  merits  of  beer,  soap,  and  corsets. 

But  in  spite  of  all  these  things  there  is  scarcely  a  veneer 
of  modern  progress.  The  European  population  of  Cairo 
is  about  25,000.  The  remaining  425,000  to  475,000  are 
mostly  natives,  Copts,  and  Turks. 

It  is  very  easy,  when  walking  about  the  European 
quarter,  to  mislead  one's  self  into  an  over-estimate  of  the 
extent  to  which  modern  progress  has  established  itself. 

Cairo  to-day  is  spread  over  some  dozen  square  miles. 
"The  mother  of  the  world,"  "  the  brightest  gem  in  the  han- 
dle of  the  green  fan  of  Egypt,"  and  endless  other  phrases 
are  applied  to  it  by  the  Arabs.  Yet  the  city  of  to-day  is 
by  no  means  identical  with  the  city  of  these  panegyrics. 
Four  great  towns  were  founded  upon  its  site  and  crumbled 
away  before  there  existed  even  the  material  out  of  which 
Cairo  has  been  built.  The  eldest  of  the  four  was  founded 
in  641.  What  is  left  of  it  may  be  seen  in  Kasr-el-Atika,  or 
old  Cairo.  This  specimen  of  the  Arabesque  in  architec- 
ture has  a  well-defined  history.  Some  hundred  years  after 
it  came  into  existence,  a  Mohammedan  ruler  of  the  land 
established  himself  a  little  farther  off.  The  place  of  his 
residence  was  El  Askar  (The  Camp).  A  third  essay  in  the 
founding  of  an  Egyptian  capital  was  made  by  the  re- 
nowned Achmet-ib-Tolon.  Finally,  a  great  Fatimite  con- 
queror, named  Johar,  built  himself  a  palace  and  called 
it  El  Kahira,  which  means  The  Victorious.  This  was  in 
969.  From  El  Kahira  to  Cairo,  the  descent  is  obvious. 
The  Cairenes  of  to-day  call  their'city  Masr-el-Kahira. 
This  again  is  shortened  into  Masr.  Egypt,  too,  is  Masr 
in  Arabic. 

The  four  old  sites  form  to-day  one  new  site.  The  masses 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION 

of  ruin  which  meet  the  eye  here  and  there  in  Cairo  are, 
for  the  most  part,  relics  of  a  wall  built  about  the  Fatimite 
foundation.  The  splendors  of  the  past,  however,  must  be 
sought  towards  the  Citadel.  The  streets  in  this,  the  north- 
ern or  higher  city,  are  as  typical  of  the  Thousand  and  One 
Nights  as  anything  in  the  modern  world  could  be.  I  have 
wandered  about  this  region  for  hours  without  molestation 
from  the  native  denizens.  Mosques,  palaces,  courts,  and 
gateways  afford  an  endless  panorama.  The  lines  of  camels 
and  donkeys,  the  throngs  of  men,  women,  and  children, 
the  life  of  the  people  exposed  to  view  in  the  frankest  and 
simplest  fashion,  give  rise  to  a  most  novel  series  of  im- 
pressions. The  University  of  El  Azhar,  the  resort  of  stu- 
dents from  all  the  Mohammedan  world,  the  mosque  of  the 
Sultan  Hassan  and  that  of  El  Ghori,  and  other  wonders, 
are  in  this  quarter.  The  narrow  streets  or  lanes  are  lined 
with  private  dwellings,  rendered  doubly  picturesque  by  the 
projecting  windows  above  the  doorways.  These  structures 
are  adorned  with  the  famous  arabeyah  or  lattice-work, 
some  of  which  is  the  workmanship  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

As  I  have  said,  the  visitor  in  these  regions  meets  with 
little  molestation  from  the  inhabitants.  The  only  incon- 
venience is  attendant  upon  the  succession  of  smells.  The 
odor  which  the  Arab  declares  to  surpass  aloes  wood,  and 
to  be  cheering  to  the  heart,  in  my  own  nostrils,  is  most 
oppressive.  The  emanations  from  the  soil  at  every  foot- 
fall are  almost  palpable.  The  native  delights  in  them. 
They  are  in  no  exaggerated  sense  the  breath  of  his  nos- 
trils. The  effect  upon  the  population,  however,  is  in  the 
highest  degree  unsanitary.  Contagious  diseases  are  al- 
ways rife  here.  Smallpox  is  said  to  lurk  for  the  European 
artist  who  penetrates  into  the  remoter  courts  and  alleys. 


INTRODUCTION  xxv 

But  these  evidences  of  a  dead  and  gone  day  are  now 
fading.  The  modern  city  —  by  which  term  is  denoted  the 
Ismailieh  quarter  —  constantly  enlarges  its  boundaries. 
In  this  section  of  Cairo  are  wide  thoroughfares,  well 
lighted  and  policed,  and  lined  with  stately  dwellings.  Here 
is  the  Esbekieh,  or  City  Park,  surrounded  by  hotels  and 
business  houses;  to  the  right  of  the  Esbekieh  is  the  opera 
house;  farther  on,  accessible  through  a  narrow  and  not 
splendid  thoroughfare,  one  comes  to  the  Abdin  Palace, 
where  the  Khedive  has  his  official  residence  and  in  which 
most  of  the  royal  functions  take  place. 

Great  changes  are  undoubtedly  imminent  for  Cairo. 
The  most  radical  of  them  will  be  the  inauguration  of  a 
system  of  sewerage.  The  absence  of  any  such  factor  of 
municipal  development  hampers  the  city  greatly.  The 
occasional  rainfalls  flood  the  streets  until  wagons  are  sent 
about  to  collect  the  water  and  haul  it  off  to  the  Nile,  as 
already  has  been  told. 

The  municipal  government  is  admirable.  Order  pre- 
vails everywhere,  and  the  stranger  may  visit  every  nook 
and  cranny  of  the  city  with  safety,  provided  he  mind  his 
own  business.  Even  the  criminal  quarter  is  safe,  although 
anything  but  edifying. 

The  masses  of  the  Egyptian  people  to-day  —  the  mil- 
lions to  whom  the  term  "fellaheen"  is  applied  —  are  pre- 
cisely like  the  masses  of  the  Egyptian  people  three  thou- 
sand years  ago.  This  seems  difficult  to  believe  in  a  world 
so  prone  to  change  as  ours,  but  the  statement  is  made  on 
good  authority. 

The  fellaheen  are  almost  wholly  of  pure  Egyptian  blood, 
although  there  is  here  and  there  an  intermingling  of  Syrian 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION 

and  Arab  stock,  but  the  dominant  race  ever  asserts  itself 
in  the  end. 

There  is  something  distinctive  in  the  gentle  demeanor 
of  this  agricultural  class.  In  the  rural  portions  of  the  land, 
where  the  tourist  seldom  penetrates  and  where  life  is  sim- 
plicity itself,  the  type  of  native  character  presents  a  fas- 
cinating study.  The  fellah's  complexion  grows  darker, 
by  the  way,  the  farther  south  one  goes. 

They  are  all,  light  and  dark,  a  keenly  intelligent  lot. 
This  opinion,  I  know,  is  contrary  to  the  general  view.  But 
the  general  view  takes  no  account  of  the  fellah's  bewilder- 
ment at  the  new  conditions  which  came  in  with  the  Eng- 
lish Occupation.  As  an  agricultural  class  the  fellaheen 
are  growing  more  prosperous.  Their  prospects  are  really 
bright.  They  can  raise  their  crops  and  have  something 
left  for  themselves  when  taxes  are  paid.  They  are  no  longer 
forced  to  borrow  money  at  enormous  rates  of  interest,  be- 
cause the  English  have  established  a  banking  system  for 
the  special  benefit  of  the  natives. 

The  type  of  physique  among  them  varies  little.  They 
are  often  over,  rather  than  under,  medium  height,  and 
very  slender.  The  head  is  large  in  proportion  to  the  rest 
of  the  frame.  The  eyes  are  deep-set,  the  face  oval,  and 
the  beard  scanty.  The  tendency  of  the  lips  to  project  gives 
the  countenance  the  aspect  of  a  sneer,  an  effect  not  much 
atoned  for  by  the  shortness  of  the  nose  and  the  deep  set 
of  the  eyes.  Large  chests,  shrunken  abdomens,  and  the 
claw-like  hands  and  feet  comprise  the  remaining  physical 
characteristics.  An  unfortunate  thing  hi  the  fellah  is  his 
aversion  to  standing  upright.  His  favorite  attitude  is  a 
squat.  When  he  stands,  however,  as  in  the  army,  he  makes 
a  fine,  soldierly  figure. 


INTRODUCTION  xxvii 

The  character  of  the  fellah  is,  and  must  long  remain, 
a  matter  of  warm  dispute.  The  average  foreign  resident 
in  Europe  denounces  the  native  as  cowardly,  false,  licen- 
tious, lazy,  and  degraded.  The  friends  of  the  fellah  point 
out  his  sobriety,  docility,  steadiness,  and  reserve.  It 
would  be  easy  to  compromise  and  say  of  the  fellah  that 
he  has  his  good  and  bad  qualities. 

Socially,  the  fellah  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  scale.  Every 
other  element  in  the  population  looks  down  upon  him. 
The  Bedouins  will  not  let  him  marry  into  their  tribes,  al- 
though a  fellaheen  girl  is  occasionally  wed  by  a  Bedouin 
of  the  humbler  sort.  When  a  fellah  leaves  the  country  for 
the  town  he  often  tries  to  conceal  his  origin.  ?•  ( 

They  dress  in  a  shirt  and  drawers  on  ordinary  occasions. 
This  attire  is  supplemented  with  a  blue  smock  or  a  coat 
with  sleeves  when  the  weather  grows  cold.  The  tarbouche 
is  worn,  of  course.  Their  persons  and  their  clothes  are  very- 
dirty.  I  never  saw  a  head  of  hair  decently  combed  or  a 
face  shaved.  The  women  are  plumper  than  the  men,  and 
shorter,  as  a  rule.  They  wear  cheap  silver  ornaments  on 
their  arms  and  legs,  and  very  often  tattoo  themselves. 
Marriage  takes  place  incredibly  early;  I  have  heard  of 
grandmothers  who  had  not  reached  the  age  of  twenty-five. 

Their  mode  of  life  is  unvarying.  Vegetables,  not  infre- 
quently in  a  raw  state,  and  a  crude  sort  of  home-made 
bread  constitute  the  staple  diet.  The  use  of  meat  is  prac- 
tically unknown.  The  water  of  the  Nile  and  coffee  are 
their  only  drinks.  The  tobacco  weed  of  the  country, 
smoked  in  its  green  state,  is  a  great  solace  to  the  men. 

The  houses  are  mostly  of  sun-dried  bricks  and  might  be 
described  as  only  fit  for  beasts.  In  their  domestic  econ- 
omy a  strange  ingenuity  is  displayed  in  avoiding  any- 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION 

thing  conducive  to  health.  Filth  is  allowed  to  accumu- 
late upon  the  rude  earthen  floor  of  the  miserable  shelter. 
Every  sanitary  law  seems  set  at  flat  defiance.  The  children 
sprawl  about  in  uncleanliness,  their  eyes  literally  picked 
out  of  their  heads  by  the  swarms  of  flies  that  settle  upon 
these  victims  of  ophthalmia.  The  native  villages  are  hot- 
beds of  this  scourge,  and  there  are  many  of  the  fellaheen 
who  suffer  from  some  defect  of  vision.  The  ophthalmia 
among  the  fellaheen,  I  am  convinced,  is  simply  the  result 
of  their  lack  of  cleanliness.  I  believe  that  a  general  wash- 
ing would  mitigate  this  evil. 

In  spite  of  these  drawbacks,  the  fellaheen  are  fairly  ro- 
bust. Their  great  strength  seems  to  be  centered  in  the 
spine.  I  have  heard  extraordinary  tales  of  the  heavy 
weights  they  are  capable  of  lifting  upon  their  backs.  A 
ponderous  vehicle  can  be  raised  some  distance  from  the 
ground  in  this  manner  by  a  robust  fellah. 

The  great  burden  of  the  fellah,  until  recently,  however, 
was  taxation.  Until  the  British  Occupation  the  native 
retained  about  the  tenth  part  of  the  product  of  his  labor. 
The  remainder  went  to  the  Sheikh,  the  Nazir,  the  Namur, 
the  Cadi,  and  the  Pasha.  Often  the  cultivation  of  the  land 
proceeded  under  the  spur  of  the  whip.  The  transformation 
under  the  English  rule  has  been  magical.  Taxation  is  now 
fixed  in  amount  and  is  regulated  by  the  capacity  of  the 
fellah  to  pay.  There  is  a  certain  tenure  of  land.  The  end 
of  the  year  finds  the  fellah  with  something  to  his  credit. 
The  native  has,  for  the  first  time  in  his  existence,  some- 
thing to  look  forward  to,  something  to  work  for.  The 
effect  has  been  marvelous.  Self-respect,  energy,  and  de- 
termination are  beginning,  slowly,  it  is  true,  but  surely, 
to  manifest  themselves  among  these  masses. 


INTRODUCTION  xxix 

The  only  drawback  at  present  is  the  crushing  load  of 
debt  under  which  the  fellaheen  have  managed  to  put 
themselves.  They  have  borrowed  sums,  ranging  from  five 
dollars  to  fifty  dollars,  at  rates  of  interest  varying  from 
forty  per  cent  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent  a  year. 
Their  creditors  are  mostly  Greeks,  a  very  troublesome  ele- 
ment in  the  population  of  modern  Egypt.  The  fellah  has 
fallen  a  prey  to  the  operations  of  the  Greeks,  and  how  to 
rescue  him  is  one  of  the  problems  presented  to  the  Eng- 
lish rulers  of  the  country.  The  establishment  of  a  loan 
bank,  which  accommodates  the  fellah  with  money  at  nine 
per  cent  a  year,  has  already  done  much  good.  Numerous 
other  remedies  and  measures  are  at  work.  The  fellah  has 
a  future. 


THE  HOMELY  DIARY 
OF  A  DIPLOMAT  IN  THE  EAST 

PART  I 

I  WILL  not  attempt  to  enter  into  any  details  of  my  jour- 
ney from  New  York,  on  September  9,  1897,  by  the  good 
steamship,  Augusta  Victoria,  of  the  Hamburg-American 
line,  on  my  way  to  Cairo,  further  than  to  say  that  the  pas- 
sage across  to  Cherbourg  was  a  smooth  and  charming  one. 
My  wife,  of  course,  was  with  me,  and  with  us,  my  new  sec- 
retary, an  agreeable,  most  obliging  and  acceptable  young 
Italian  who  had  been  recommended  to  me  by  a  friend;  and 
with  us,  too,  as  far  as  Paris,  came  my  sister-in-law,  Miss 
Marion  L.  Harvey.  A  maid  for  my  wife  and  one  for  Miss 
Harvey  completed  the  party.  From  Cherbourg  to  Paris, 
starting  at  9.30  P.M.,  and  arriving  at  4.30  A.M.,  was  not  a 
pleasant  experience;  but  our  comfortable  and  sumptuous 
quarters  at  the  Hotel  Westminster  on  the  Rue  de  la  Paix, 
where  we  sat  down  to  an  early  breakfast  at  five  o'clock, 
did  much  to  rest  us  in  mind  and  body. 

We  remained  in  Paris  until  the  2d  of  October,  when  we 
started  for  Brindisi  to  take  the  P.  &  0.  S.S.  Egypt,  on  the 
24th  of  the  month,  and  having  plenty  of  time  we  first 
broke  the  journey  at  Turin,  where  at  the  Hotel  de  1'Eu- 
rope  we  were  hospitably  and  well  cared  for.  By  this  time 
our  party  had  been  reduced  to  my  wife,  my  secretary,  my- 
self, and  a  maid  —  Hannah  Sweeney  —  a  good,  faithful, 
but  none  too  efficient,  creature. 


2  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

On  the  way  from  Paris  to  Turin,  and  before  reaching 
Macon,  we  suddenly  became  aware  that  a  part  of  the  train, 
on  which  Hannah  had  been  given  second-class  accommo- 
dation, had  been  divided  from  the  rear  portion  on  which 
we  had  a  wagon-lit,  and  had  gone  ahead  as  a  "first  section." 
The  train  was  for  Marseilles.  Our  party  was  to  change,  at 
least  Hannah  was  (our  sleeping-car  being  carried  through), 
at  Macon.  Would  Hannah,  who  neither  spoke  nor  under- 
stood a  word  of  French,  go  on  to  Marseilles,  or  get  out  at 
Macon  before  our  train  arrived,  and  wait  for  us  there? 
One  may  well  imagine  we  were  anything  but  comfortable 
with  the  thought  that  she  might  go  on,  especially  as  we 
had  given  her  positive  instructions  not  to  leave  her  car- 
riage under  any  pretext  whatsoever,  until  taken  from  it 
by  my  secretary.  Fortunately,  at  Dijon,  before  the  time 
came  to  change  for  Turin,  her  train  stopped  twenty-five 
minutes  for  supper,  and  as  it  was  but  fifteen  minutes 
ahead  of  ours,  we  arrived  before  it  started  anew.  My  sec- 
retary found  Hannah  sitting  in  her  place  in  the  otherwise 
empty  second-class  compartment,  and  we  were  all  greatly 
relieved.  Fortunately  for  her  peace  of  mind,  she  had  not 
known  that  all  the  way  from  Paris  she  had  been  traveling 
on  a  separate  train. 

We  were  well  housed  at  Turin  at  the  excellent  Hotel 
d'Europa,  situated  on  the  square  on  which  faces  the 
Royal  Palace.  It  was  my  second  visit  to  the  city,  my  first 
having  been  in  1878,  with  Arthur  Delacourt;  but  either  I 
must  have  seen  nothing  of  it,  or  I  had  forgotten  all  that 
I  had  seen.  We  remained  four  or  five  days,  very  agree- 
ably, and  we  bought  some  furniture  for  the  Cairo  house. 

Our  next  stop  was  at  Bologna,  where  we  had  intended 
remaining  only  one  night;  but  one  of  our  trunks,  which  we 


EN  ROUTE  THROUGH  ITALY  3 

knew  as  the  "Frankfort"  one,  containing  many  articles 
of  value  and  of  absolute  necessity,  was  found  to  have  been 
left  behind  in  Turin.  Of  course,  each  of  us  tried  to  place 
the  fault  on  the  other,  and  each  had  a  plausible  excuse  for 
the  oversight.  Whoever  was  to  blame,  we  were  detained 
three  days,  much  to  our  annoyance.  At  last  we  started  for 
Florence  by  a  belated  train,  of  course,  and  we  found  our- 
selves in  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  Italian  towns 
except  Rome.  At  Bologna  we  had  stopped  at  the  Hotel 
Brun,  an  old  palace,  altered  and  modernized.  At  Flor- 
ence, we  lodged  at  the  new  Hotel  Savoy,  the  best-equipped 
hotel  we  have  yet  discovered  in  Europe.  Even  Hotel 
Westminster  at  Paris,  where  dinners  were  twelve  francs  a 
head,  was  no  better,  and  sometimes  not  so  good.  Our  object 
in  stopping  in  Florence  was  to  give  the  artist,  David  Sani, 
another  chance  at  my  wife's  full-length  portrait.  I  had 
had  it  taken  from  its  frame  in  Philadelphia  and  sent  to 
him  in  advance.  We  found  it  there,  at  his  studio,  12,  Via 
dei  Robbia,  and  him,  working  on  the  head.  When  we  left 
Florence  we  felt  that  the  stop  there  had  not  been  useless 
—  Sani  had  succeeded  in  making  a  likeness,  not  exact, 
not  so  good-looking  as  the  original,  but  pleasing. 

Through  the  politeness  of  the  officials  of  the  railway, 
we  were  given  an  Italian  sleeping-car  to  take  us,  via 
Bologna,  to  Brindisi,  without  change.  This  car  consisted 
of  four  compartments,  with  a  toilet-room.  One  compart- 
ment had  a  room  for  two  to  lie  down  at  full  length  — 
across  the  car;  in  another  compartment  was  a  place  for 
one  person  to  sleep;  and  the  two  other  compartments  at 
the  other  end  of  the  car  and  over  the  wheels  afforded  seats 
for  second-class  passengers.  These,  or  one  of  these,  was 
occupied  by  the  two  servants,  Hannah  Sweeney,  and 


4  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Irene  "Something,"  an  Italian  girl  engaged  at  Florence, 
a  maid  for  my  wife,  who  spoke  and  understood  nothing 
but  her  own  language. 

When  we  reached  Bologna,  having  started  from  Flor- 
ence at  3  P.M.,  we  were  told  that  the  Ancona  bridge  on 
the  road  from  Bologna  to  Brindisi  had  been  carried  away 
by  the  floods,  and  that  the  only  way  for  us  to  reach  the 
latter  place  was  to  go  back  to  Florence,  down  to  Rome,  and 
thence  via  Castellamare  to  the  Adriatic.  We  reached 
Rome  the  next  morning  at  about  eight  o'clock,  breakfasted 
and  leaving  at  about  9.30,  reached  Castellamare  about 
5.30  P.M.,  in  a  pouring  rain,  which  continued  all  night  al- 
most without  intermission.  We  dined  fairly  well  at  the 
station  restaurant;  met  three  Spanish  officers,  good  fel- 
lows, and  struck  up  an  acquaintance,  my  secretary  re- 
maining with  them  until  nearly  11  P.M.  Our  great  anxiety 
was,  would  the  through  train  for  Brindisi,  from  Naples, 
which  was  to  pass  through  this  town  at  about  2.30  A.M., 
Sunday  morning  (we  left  Florence  at  3  P.M.  Friday),  take 
us  up  or  leave  us  and  endanger  our  catching  the  S.S. 
Egypt  which  was  to  sail  from  Brindisi  Sunday  evening? 
Fortunately,  our  minds  were  relieved  about  3  A.M.,  by 
the  arrival  and  stopping  of  the  train  and  the  hitching  of 
us  to  the  center  position.  We  reached  Brindisi  at  11.30 
that  morning,  worn  out  with  more  than  forty-four  hours 
of  uncomfortable  railroad  traveling,  but  congratulating 
ourselves,  nevertheless,  upon  having  had  our  own  carriage, 
with  the  comforting  thought  of  the  discomforts  we  had 
escaped  had  we  been  obliged  to  change  cars  at  each  of  the 
stopping-places,  namely,  Bologna,  Florence,  Rome,  and 
Castellamare ! ! ! ! 
»  By  good  luck,  the  Egypt  was  lying  at  her  quay,  and 


ON  BOARD  S.S.  EGYPT  5 

we  were  allowed,  one  and  all  of  us,  with  baggage,  to  go 
on  board,  and  comfortably,  so  far  as  the  accommoda- 
tion would  permit,  to  settle  ourselves  in  our  staterooms. 
My  secretary  was  the  most  fortunate  of  all,  having  been 
assigned  a  large  stateroom  with  three  berths,  but  as  he 
was  afterwards  alone  in  it,  he  enjoyed  sumptuous  ease. 
We  were  immediately  opposite,  in  a  two-berth  cabin, 
lighted  artificially  (electric);  no  sofa  and  barely  room 
enough  to  get  about  in  with  any  comfort.  Still,  it  was  bet- 
ter than  the  old  Cusco,  on  which  we  made  our  crossing 
from  Ismailia  to  Naples,  in  1895.  It  was  the  Egypt's 
first  trip.  She  is  a  fine  steamer  of  about  nine  thousand 
tons  and  handsomely  fitted.  Her  smoking-room  and 
ladies'  room  are  especially  comfortable.  At  first,  I  thought 
the  table  good,  but  before  I  left  I  changed  my  mind. 
Curiously  enough,  although  an  English  ship,  we  did  not 
have  a  joint  of  roast  beef  while  we  were  on  board. 

The  ship  was  due  to  start  at  10  P.M.  Sunday,  24th  of 
October,  but  owing  to  storms  and  washouts,  which  had 
delayed  the  trains  and  the  Western  mails,  she  did  not 
clear  until  five  o'clock  the  next  morning.  We  reached 
Port  Said  on  Wednesday  at  5.30  P.M.  On  the  trip  I  made 
no  acquaintances  to  speak  of.  Perhaps  I  may  mention  a 
little  Philadelphia  woman,  whose  name  I  did  not  learn, 
who  sat  opposite  to  us  at  the  table  and  who  was  going  out 
two  hundred  miles  from  Bombay  to  join  her  husband,  an 
Englishman  who  had  a  contract  with  a  Maharajah  to  start 
and  carry  on  schools  for  the  middle  class  of  his  (Indian) 
community.  Then  there  was  a  Mr.  Rosenplanter  from 
Staten  Island,  manager  of  immense  oil  works  in  a  north- 
east corner  of  India,  near  the  Chinese  boundary  —  I 
think,  Annam.  He  is  connected  with  many  of  the  best 


6  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

society  of  New  York  City  and  was  a  very  agreeable 
fellow.  * 

We  concluded  to  remain  on  the  Egypt  until  we  reached 
Ismailia,  where  we  arrived  at  about  9  A.M.,  Thursday 
morning,  having  been  detained  at  Port  Said  to  put  on 
twelve  hundred  tons  of  coal.  At  Port  Said,  W.  Broad- 
bent,  the  United  States  Consular  Agent,  came  alongside 
in  a  trim-looking  four-oared  yawl  and  sought  me  out  on 
board.  I  liked  his  appearance,  manners,  and  speech,  and 
felt  satisfied  that  our  Government  had  a  good  represen- 
tative in  him. 

Through  Mr.  Broadbent  I  found  everything  in  readi- 
ness at  Ismailia  to  leave  the  ship.  Mr.  Watts,  my  Vice- 
Consul-General,  had  sent  the  first  cawass  of  the  office, 
Andrass  by  name,  and  with  my  secretary  he  got  the  lug- 
gage safely  and  all  off  to  the  Hotel  Victoria  and  then  to 
the  railroad  station.  Louise  took  a  room,  and  the  rest  of 
us  lounged  about  the  house  and  grounds  until  11.30,  lunch 
time;  and  shortly  after  luncheon  we  took  the  train  for 
Cairo.  When  we  had  gone  to  within  ten  miles  of  the  city, 
however,  our  engine  broke  down  and  we  had  a  very  tire- 
some wait  of  over  three  hours  before  a  locomotive  in  good 
order  could  reach  us,  an  unaccountable  delay  to  me.  On 
the  Egypt  and  on  the  train  with  us,  in  the  next  compart- 
ment, were  Prince  Said  Tussun  and  the  Princess.  She  was 
an  Englishwoman,  or  rather  Irish,  from  Australia,  a 
widow  when  he  married  her.  It  was  said  she  had  some 
money.  He,  although  he  was  the  son  of  the  Said  Pasha 
who  signed  the  decree  for  the  cutting  of  the  Suez  Canal, 
was  said  to  be  comparatively  poor,  having  only  about 
four  thousand  pounds  a  year.  He  is  not  on  the  best  of 
terms,  I  was  told,  with  his  family  on  account  of  his  mar- 


Prince  Said  Tussun 


ARRIVAL  AT  CAIRO  7 

riage,  and  the  Princess  is  said  to  avoid  his  mother  and 
sisters.  I  give  the  above  for  what  it  may  be  worth,  which 
is  not  much,  I  imagine. 

October  28.  On  reaching  Cairo  at  8.30  P.M.,  we  were  met 
at  the  station  by  Mr.  Watts  and  Mr.  Touhey,  the  latter 
the  consular  clerk.  Fero,  my  coachman,  who  had  pre- 
ceded me,  was  there  with  my  bays,  "Nellie  Ely"  and 
"Lady  Knox,"  hitched  to  the  victoria,  and  we  were  soon 
whirled  along  to  Shepheard's  Hotel,  where  an  excellent 
suite  of  rooms  on  the  first  floor  was  in  readiness.  Salon, 
three  sleeping-rooms,  two  of  them  fronting  the  Esbekieh, 
and  a  good  chamber  for  our  two  maids.  We  soon  had  a 
light  supper,  after  which  my  secretary  and  I  took  a  stroll 
for  about  an  hour. 

October  29.  To-day  I  went  to  the  office  and  Agency, 
looking  the  house  over  pretty  thoroughly  and  reading  up 
some  of  the  dispatches  of  my  predecessor.  I  did  not  find 
the  work  in  very  good  shape.  Desks  were  littered  and 
there  was  an  untidiness  —  I  do  not  mean  so  much  as  to 
dirt,  as  to  confusion  and  general  lack  of  order  or  busi- 
ness method  —  that  struck  me  unfavorably.  The  house, 
though  not  spacious,  is  amply  large  for  everything  but  a 
ball.  The  rooms  are  of  good  size,  but  the  decoration  is 
most  unsightly.  There  are  no  fireplaces,  no  gas  but  in 
two  rooms,  and  no  bathtub  or  fixtures,  nor  are  there  any 
butler's  pantry  conveniences.  I  find  I  must  do  a  great 
deal. 

In  the  afternoon  we  took  a  drive  out  to  Ghezireh  and 
went  into  the  hotel,  where  we  were  shown  the  suite  of 
rooms  that  had  been  intended  for  us.  Magnificent,  superb, 


8  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

are  the  only  words;  but  we  concluded  we  must  stay  in  the 
Agency,  on  account  of  the  convenience,  and  in  order  that 
I  may  be  identified  immediately  as  the  chief  representa- 
tive of  the  United  States. 

Letters  were  written  to  the  Department  at  Washington 
of  my  arrival  here  and  I  had  a  very  long  discussion 
with  Watts  as  to  my  proper  course  in  relation  to  taking 
charge  of  the  Agency.  He  was  of  the  opinion  that  I  should 
await  the  arrival,  from  Constantinople,  of  my  exequatur 
—  Mr.  Angell,  the  Minister  there,  having  been  advised 
of  my  arrival  and  requested  to  forward  it  without  de- 
lay. Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
was  also  advised  of  my  arrival. 

October  30.  To-day  again  Mr.  Watts  and  I  discussed  my 
taking  charge  and  relieving  him.  He  was  as  positive  as 
yesterday;  but  I  suggested  asking  Lord  Cromer's  advice, 
and  we  set  out  at  once,  found  Lord  Cromer  in  his  study, 
and  put  the  matter  before  him.  He  agreed  with  what  I 
claimed  and  advised  us  to  drive  to  the  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs  at  once  and  get  his  permission  to  serve,  pending  the 
arrival  of  the  exequatur. 

I  was  very  favorably  impressed  with  Lord  Gromer,  who 
appeared  to  be  a  friendly,  plain,  outspoken  gentleman. 
He  seemed  to  me  to  be  about  sixty  years  of  age,  tall,  with 
a  round,  clean-shaven  face,  and  a  good-natured  English 
countenance.  He  was  very  courteous  in  welcoming  me 
to  Cairo. 

We  immediately  proceeded  to  the  office  of  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  after  driving  through  a  dirty  and 
badly  littered  court,  we  passed  within  a  shabby,  worn- 
out,  and  dirty-carpeted  room,  or  reception  hall,  to  the 


OFFICIAL  RECOGNITION  9 

grand  stairway,  on  the  first  landing  of  which  were  uni- 
formed servants  or  guards.  On  the  landing  of  the  first  and 
principal  floor,  preceded  by  Andrass,  my  cawass,  we  were 
led  to  the  anteroom,  a  fine  apartment,  in  good  order  and 
well  furnished.  Then,  giving  our  cards  to  one  of  the  cham- 
berlains, we  were  requested  to  be  seated,  and  after  waiting 
only  a  few  minutes,  we  were  given  an  audience.  Boutros 
Pasha  Ghali  is  a  Copt,  of  medium  height,  with  a  round, 
good-natured  face  that  did  not  impress  me  as  one  of  much 
strength  of  character,  although  his  speech,  which  was  de- 
cisive and  to  the  point,  rather  gave  the  contrary  conclusion. 
He  ordered  coffee  and  gave  us  cigarettes,  and  we  had  a 
friendly  and  informal  chat  at  first.  Then  I  told  him  the 
object  of  my  visit  and  he  at  once  replied  that  he  recog- 
nized me  from  that  moment.  So  the  matter  was  concluded 
and  Watts  and  I  (he  a  little  crestfallen)  went  back  to  the 
office,  where  I  wrote  letters  that  the  new  condition  re- 
quired. 

October  31.  —  Sunday.  Watts  had  written  me  a  note  the 
night  before,  telling  me  that  a  pew  was  reserved  in  the 
English  church  for  the  Agency  and  that  he  and  Mrs.  Watts 
were  going.  Unfortunately,  I  had  not  received  it  in  time 
to  give  Louise  the  chance  to  dress,  as  she  would  have  liked 
on  her  first  appearance  at  divine  service.  Her  trunks  for 
the  most  part  were  not  unpacked,  and  we  did  not  avail 
ourselves  of  the  information;  but  my  secretary  and  I 
strolled  up  the  Mouskey  and  walked  a  few  minutes  in  the 
bazaars,  just  to  give  him  a  coup  d'ozil  and  whet  his  appe- 
tite for  a  longer  visit. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  to  the  Zoological  Gardens; 
amused  the  monkeys  and  ourselves;  admired  the  beauti- 


10  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

fully  laid-out  walks  and  grottoes,  flower-beds  and  stately 
palms,  and  started  back  to  the  hotel  fully  alive  to  the 
beauties  of  Cairo's  most  lovely  garden.  There  was  a 
charge  for  entrance  of  two  piastres  each,  which  tended,  of 
course,  to  keep  the  rabble  from  the  grounds. 

November  1.  This  morning  was  spent  at  the  Agency. 
The  afternoon,  after  2.30, 1  devoted  to  making  calls  upon 
the  Agents  and  Consuls-General  of  all  the  countries  rep- 
resented at  the  Court  of  His  Highness  the  Khedive.  The 
only  house  into  which  we  were  admitted  was  that  of  the 
Minister  of  Persia.  An  unprepossessing  courtyard,  or  gar- 
den, before  entering  the  dwelling,  and  the  furniture  rather 
shabby  with  the  cheap  look  that  almost  always  accom- 
panies the  Eastern  gilt,  try-to-look-better-than-it-is  in- 
terior belongings  and  decorations.  We  were  received  on 
the  first  floor  (our  second  story)  by  a  man  under  the  aver- 
age height,  who  weighed,  I  should  say,  about  a  hundred 
and  thirty  pounds,  dressed  in  European  dress,  but  wear- 
ing his  black  tarbouch.  His  face  was  that  of  a  man  of  in- 
telligence and  abstinence  —  good  eyes,  high  but  narrow 
forehead,  an  aquiline  nose,  small  mouth  with  rather  thin 
lips,  and  with  a  chin  and  jaw  that  indicated  decision  and 
thought.  His  name  is  Faradjalla  Khan,  a  general.  After 
smoking  a  cigarette  and  holding  conversation  entirely  in 
French,  we  rose  to  go.  Just  as  he  had  said  good-bye  and 
we  had  reached  the  first  two  or  three  steps  of  the  stair- 
way, we  were  met  by  a  servant  bearing  a  tray,  on  which 
were  cups  of  tea.  We  excused  ourselves,  however,  and 
started  on  our  way  again  upon  the  round  of  visits.  After 
my  return  to  Shepheard's  I  found  a  number  of  cards  of 
visitors,  among  them  Lord  Cromer's  and  Colonel  Cooper's 


Lord  Cromer  in  1898 


ELIAS  BEY  11 

and  Mrs.  Cooper's  for  Louise,  and  about  6.30  came  Elias 
Bey,  Inspector  in  the  Bureau  of  the  Interior  Department, 
who  had  been  in  Philadelphia  in  1876  in  some  official 
capacity  and  who  knew  or  had  known  some  of  our  best 
people. 

He  told  me  he  had  been  present  at  the  birth  of  the  Khe- 
dive and  his  brother  Mehemet  Ali,  and  looked  upon  them 
almost  as  his  sons.  I  judge  that  they  greatly  esteem  him. 
He  spoke  most  highly  of  them  both,  especially  of  His 
Highness.  Looking  over  my  papers,  I  have  found  a  letter 
of  introduction  to  Elias  from  Frank  Rosengarten,  and 
now  remember  how  favorably  he  had  spoken  of  him  before 
I  left  home. 

November  2.  Nothing  especial  to-day.  Have  been  work- 
ing with  plumbers,  painters,  paper-hangers  and  looking  at 
rugs.  I  wrote  to  the  Lord  Chamberlain,  —  at  least  Watts 
did  by  my  direction,  —  asking  for  the  honor  of  a  private 
audience  with  the  Khedive.  I  ordered  a  suit  of  heavy  blue 
cloth  for  Jack  Fero. 

I  have  caught  a  Shepheard's  Hotel  cold  —  influenza  — 
that  is  sure  to  result  from  sitting  in  the  draughty  halls  of 
this  house.  Our  evenings,  invariably,  we  pass  in  our 
rooms.  About  ten  o'clock  my  secretary  and  I  take  a  short 
stroll  about.  This  evening,  passing  the  "Sphinx's"  office, 
Longworth,  the  editor  and  owner,  was  standing  without. 
He  pressed  us  to  enter  to  hear  some  fellaheen  sing  and  act 
their  songs.  He  was  about  to  select  them  for  a  London 
show.  There  were  four  of  them;  one  an  old  chap  who 
seemed  the  chief  of  the  gang.  Of  course,  there  was  no 
music  in  the  sounds  they  uttered,  but  one  of  their  chants 
reminded  me  of  "Ta-ra-ra-ra-boom-dee-ay,"  and  I  think 


12  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

might  have  been  intended  as  an  imitation.  They  empha- 
sized their  periods  by  clapping  each  other,  keeping  time, 
on  the  sides  of  their  faces.  It  was  funny  and  very  curious. 

November  3.  To-day  has  been  almost  a  repetition  of 
yesterday;  work  with  mechanics,  and  spent  many  weary 
moments  looking  at  rugs.  We  were  shown  some  good  ones 
at  the  Agency  and  for  what  I  was  asked  £103  I  offered 
£42;  but  as  yet  my  offer  has  not  been  accepted  and  I  fear 
will  not  be.  Some  of  the  lot  were  really  beautiful,  antique, 
and  with  a  gloss  as  if  from  silk.  They  were  made  from  the 
Angora  wool. 

The  Countess  Montjoie  had  written  Louise  asking  if 
it  would  be  agreeable  to  her  for  them  to  call  this  afternoon, 
and  Louise  replied  fixing  six  o'clock.  The  Countess  came, 
with  her  daughter,  a  girl  of  about  twenty  or  twenty-two, 
quite  pretty;  and  she  herself,  not  altogether  passee,  must 
have  possessed  a  great  deal  of  beauty  in  her  early  youth.  I 
should  say  she  was  approaching  fifty  now.  She  is  an  Ameri- 
can, an  intimate  friend  of  William  Penn  Brock.  She  has 
married  a  second  time;  her  present  husband,  a  Bavarian 
officer,  is  in  the  service  of  the  Khedive.  They  made  a  long 
visit  of  about  an  hour.  Spoke  of  many  of  our  Philadelphia 
friends.  Were  thoroughly  au  courant  of  all  of  the  Cairo 
gossip. 

November  4.  Spent  the  morning  with  upholsterers  and 
decorators  until  about  10.30,  then  went  to  the  Agency 
until  12.45,  my  secretary  writing,  copying,  and  so  on. 
Fitted  up  my  private  room,  with  the  late  drawing-room 
furniture  of  the  Penfields.  In  the  afternoon,  with  Louise 
and  my  secretary,  I  called  on  the  wives  of  the  Ministers, 


GETTING  SETTLED  13 

or  Agents;  got  through  at  about  5.30,  and  took  tea  on  the 
Terrace.  A  young  American  engineer  from  the  Far  West, 
a  Mr.  Bancroft,  who  had  been  out  to  Australia  for  a  Lon- 
don company,  came  up  and  introduced  himself.  He  was 
on  his  way  to  London,  and  perhaps  the  Klondike.  I  was 
well  pleased  with  him  —  a  good-looking,  healthful,  clean, 
strong  six-footer,  who  knew  what  he  was  doing  and  what 
he  was  talking  about.  We  returned  the  visit  of  the  Coun- 
tess Montjoie  and  saw  her  and  her  daughter  in  their  apart- 
ment. 

November  5.  A  busy  day.  First,  in  the  morning,  the  dec- 
orator, the  upholsterer,  came  and  had  his  samples  exam- 
ined, but  nothing  was  decided  upon.  I  then  went  to  the 
Agency,  where  I  examined  the  work  that  was  being  done 
by  the  mechanics.  Louise  called  for  me  there  to  go  to  see 
the  palace  which  was  for  rent  and  which  we  think  of  tak- 
ing should  we  be  able  to  get  it.  I  found  a  note  from  the 
Grand  Chamberlain  at  the  Agency,  naming  four  o'clock 
to-morrow  for  the  private  audience  with  the  Khedive; 
also  a  note  from  Lord  Cromer,  that  had  been  passed  from 
Agent  to  Agent,  announcing  the  forming  of  a  committee 
for  the  Diplomatic  Corps  to  meet  the  King  of  Siam  on 
Sunday  at  5.30  P.M.  In  the  afternoon  I  returned  the  visit 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Harvey,  of  the  American  Missions,  a  pleasant 
gentleman  of  about  sixty-five  or  seventy,  who  has  re- 
sided in  Egypt  since  1865.  His  wife,  daughter,  and  friend 
(lady)  came  in  while  with  my  secretary  I  was  at  the  mis- 
sion. I  was  not  greatly  impressed  by  either  the  beauty 
or  wit  of  my  hosts.  Mr.  Harvey  wished  to  introduce 
me  to  Rev.  Mr.  Griffin,  his  colleague,  but  although  we 
mounted  another  flight  and  searched  from  room  to  room 


14  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

we  did  not  find  him.  The  building  of  the  American  Mis- 
sions is  opposite  Shepheard's  and  is  quite  important  in 
size.  Mr.  Harvey  told  me  that  over  seventy  Arab  girls 
were  being  taught  there.  The  chapel  within  the  structure 
is  quite  large.  It  is  divided  in  the  center,  lengthwise,  by 
small  columns,  on  the  tops  of  which  is  a  rail,  and  on  this 
rail  is  suspended,  by  rings,  a  curtain  that  can  be  drawn, 
so  that  one  side  of  the  church  where  the  women  sit  can  be 
shut  off  from  the  view  of  the  other  where  the  men  have 
their  places. 

After  Mr.  Harvey,  we  visited  Elias  Bey,  Inspector 
in  the  Department  of  Internal  Affairs,  and  found  him 
at  home,  as  well  as  his  wife,  a  young  and  beautiful 
woman.  They  were  very  polite,  offered  us  cigarettes  and 
sweets,  with  a  small  glass  of  cognac,  of  which  we  partook. 
After  our  visit  we  returned  to  the  hotel,  picked  up  Louise, 
and  drove  to  Ghezireh.  On  our  way  back  to  Shepheard's, 
Louise  returned  the  visit  of  the  Thorndikes,  who  were 
stopping  at  the  hotel;  and  afterwards  we  received  the 
Countess  della  Sala  in  our  salon. 

November  6.  This  has  been  a  day  full  of  interest  and 
import.  Not  feeling  entirely  satisfied  that  I  should  go  to 
the  reception  of  the  Khedive  with  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
in  the  morning  at  10.15,  when  I  was  to  have  a  private 
audience  at  four  o'clock,  I  wrote  last  evening  to  Lord 
Cromer,  as  Dean  of  the  Corps,  asking  his  advice.  He 
courteously  and  promptly  replied,  stating  he  thought  I  had 
better  send  Mr.  Watts  in  the  morning  to  represent  the 
United  States  Agency,  and  go  alone  to  Abdin  Palace  in 
the  afternoon  as  appointed,  explaining  to  His  Highness 
that  the  reason  I  had  not  appeared  in  the  morning  was 


AUDIENCE  WITH  THE  KHEDIVE          15 

because  I  had  not  previously  had  the  honor  of  being  re- 
ceived by  him.  Therefore,  I  sent  Mr.  Watts,  and  after 
looking  over  some  wall-papers  and  thin  curtains  for  the 
house  with  my  secretary,  I  returned  to  the  Agency.  There 
I  remained  until  twelve  o'clock.  After  luncheon,  Louise, 
who  was  to  be  presented  to  the  Vice-Reine  mere  and  to  the 
Vice-Reine  by  Lady  Gromer,  at  Koobeh,  made  ready  for 
that  important  and  interesting  function.  She  was  beau- 
tifully dressed  and  looked  charming.  At  2.30  she  started 
off  with  the  janissary,  in  the  victoria  driven  by  Fero. 
The  whole  establishment  was  first-class,  and  I  felt  well 
content  with  it,  especially  with  its  lovely  burden.  At  3.30, 
with  Ali,  my  second  cawass,  in  a  wretched-looking  hotel 
turnout,  I  set  out  for  Abdin  Palace,  stopping  at  the  Agency 
to  kill  time.  I  reached  the  Palace  about  ten  minutes  too 
soon;  but,  of  course,  was  expected  and  met  at  the  foot  of 
the  grand  stairway  by  two  of  the  chamberlains;  conducted 
to  the  salon  waiting-room  on  the  first  floor  to  the  right, 
where  I  was  requested  to  sit  until  His  Highness  could  re- 
ceive me.  After  a  short  wait  another  official  came  to  give 
me  a  message  from  the  Khedive,  that  inasmuch  as  we  knew 
each  other,  he,  with  my  permission,  would  dispense  with 
the  members  of  his  Council  and  receive  me  alone,  which 
suited  my  wishes  exactly.  I  was  then  conducted  across  the 
hall  into  the  Salon  de  Reception,  immediately  opposite  to 
the  room  in  which  I  had  waited. 

So  soon  as  I  entered  the  doorway,  I  saw  the  Khedive 
approaching,  smiling  cordially  and  extending  both  hands, 
which  I  took,  and  received  a  most  friendly  double  shake. 
The  Khedive  then  led  me  to  the  farther  end  of  the  room 
and,  seating  himself  on  a  Louis  XV  lounge,  motioned  me 
to  sit  beside  him.  He  expressed  his  satisfaction  that  the 


16  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

President  had  sent  me  to  his  Court  to  represent  the  United 
States  and  said  some  very  pleasant  things  about  me  and 
my  past  visits  to  Egypt.  I  thanked  him  for  the  honor  he 
had  done  me  in  granting  me  the  audience  so  soon,  and 
especially  on  a  day  when  he  had  so  much  work  himself. 
He  had  commenced  his  receptions  that  morning  at  7.30 
and  had  been  at  them  all  day.  He  was  to  be  at  the  rail- 
way station  at  5.30  P.M.  to  meet  the  King  of  Siam;  so  I 
could  well  take  it  as  a  compliment  that  he  had  not  de- 
ferred the  audience  until  some  day  next  week.  I  told  him, 
quite  frankly,  of  my  interest  in  himself,  my  affection  for 
him,  if  he  would  permit  the  use  of  that  word  (and  he 
smilingly  assented,  placing  his  hand  on  my  knee),  and  the 
admiration  I  felt  for  the  improvement  in  the  condition 
and  welfare  of  his  people  due  to  his  example  and  beneficent 
rule.  Then  we  talked  of  horses;  of  where  I  would  live 
while  in  Cairo;  of  the  health  of  Louise;  of  donkey-riding; 
and  then  he  asked  about  Fero,  and  was  much  amused 
when  I  told  him  of  Jack's  admiration  for  him  and  of  the 
value  that  he  had  placed  upon  the  scarf-pin  that  His  High- 
ness had  given  him.1  The  audience  lasted  nearly  twenty 
minutes.  I  had  hardly  returned  to  the  hotel  when  the 
Khedive  escorted  by  a  squadron  of  horse,  was  driven  by. 
I  felt  that  the  compliment  was  all  the  greater,  when  I 
saw  that  he  had  given  me  so  much  of  the  time  he  needed 
for  himself  to  prepare  and  dress  in  appropriate  uniform 
to  meet  his  expected  royal  guest. 
On  the  Terrace  at  Shepheard's  a  great  throng  had  as- 

1  In  1895,  Mr.  Harrison  sent  to  the  Khedive  a  stallion,  a  Wilks  trotter,  for 
breeding  purposes,  under  the  charge  of  Jack  Fero.  Eventually  the  Khedive 
bestowed  "  Bay  Harrison,"  as  he  was  called,  on  his  brother,  Prince  Mehemet 
Ali.  Some  time  afterward,  the  Grand  Chamberlain  sent  Mr.  Harrison  a  splen- 
did Arab  mare  and  two  Mecca  donkeys.  (EDITOB.) 


THE  TERRACE  AT  SHEPHEARD'S    17 

sembled  to  see  the  King  of  Siam  and  his  escort  go  by  on 
the  way  from  the  station  to  Abdin  Palace,  where  he  and 
his  suite  were  to  remain  a  fortnight  or  so,  and  I  met  a  num- 
ber of  friends,  among  them  Brewster  Bey,  my  old  acquaint- 
ance. He  did  not  look  prosperous  and  has  begun  to  show 
his  years.  He  is  the  same  honest,  straightforward  fellow, 
and  I  like  him  very  much.  I  also  met  his  wife,  but  as  she 
was  surrounded  by  friends  in  a  chair  in  front  by  the  rail, 
I  did  not  dwell  long  by  her  side,  although  I  must  compli- 
ment myself  on  my  French,  which  came  easily  and  well 
that  time,  anyhow.  I  afterwards  met  Chereef  Bey  and 
an  Englishman  whose  name  I  do  not  recall,  who  reminded 
me  that  he  had  been  assigned  at  Abdin  to  care  for  Louise 
and  me  at  the  Khedivial  Ball  in  1895. 

I  forgot  to  say  that,  upon  my  return  from  the  Agency 
this  morning,  I  found  awaiting  me,  and  talking  to  Louise, 
on  Shepheard's  Terrace,  Count  Montjoie  and  Count  della 
Sala.  The  former,  a  big  fellow,  a  sturdy,  honest  Bavarian, 
in  the  employ  of  the  Government;  the  latter, 7 a  clever 
Italian,  the  husband  of  the  Countess  who  has  already  re- 
ceived some  attention  in  these  pages.  As  Montjoie  spoke 
only  French,  I  was  obliged  to  grind  out  that  tongue  for 
over  half  an  hour,  and  was  well  content  when  he  rose 
to  take  leave.  I,  however,  liked  him  exceedingly.  As  for 
the  Count  della  Sala,  he  certainly  is  an  agreeable  fellow, 
a  thorough  man  of  the  world,  about  sixty-five,  and  pleas- 
ant to  be  with  as  an  occasional  companion. 

About  five  o'clock  Louise  was  driven  up,  and  almost  im- 
mediately afterwards  two  ladies  arrived  whom  she  had  met 
at  Koobeh,  at  the  Vice-Reine  mere's  reception,  and  whom 
she  had  invited  to  see  the  King  of  Siam  go  by  from  our  salon 
at  this  hotel,  much  the  best  place  in  Cairo  for  the  view. 


18  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

These  ladies  were  the  Baroness  Malortie  and  Mme.  de 
Mohl,  whose  husband  is  the  German  representative  of  the 
Caisse  de  la  Dette.  Mr.  Behler  kindly  gave  us  the  large 
salon  and  its  terrace  on  the  first  floor,  from  which  we  had 
a  perfect  view. 

The  King,  seated  in  the  state  gala  carriage,  on  the  right 
of  the  Khedive,  saluted  to  the  right  and  left  as  he  was  driven 
by.  The  carriage,  the  same  in  which  I  am  to  take  my  ride 
when  I  appear  officially  to  present  my  credentials,  some- 
time next  month,  was  a  thing  to  behold,  with  the  coach- 
men and  footmen  and  outriders  on  the  rumble,  all  in  pink 
silk  stockings  buckled  on  their  knees;  laughingly  striking 
to  me  when  thought  of  in  connection  with  the  grandson  of 
the  Philadelphia  Quaker  who  must  accompany  them  on  his 
state  errand.  After  they  had  gone  the  Countess  Tugini, 
wife  of  the  Italian  Agent,  and  the  Baroness  Acton,  wife  of 
the  Italian  Consul,  called  upon  Louise  and  were  shown  to 
our  salon.  While  there  Mr.  Wilson,  correspondent  of  the 
London  "Times,"  called  and  was  admitted;  so  with  my 
secretary  and  ourselves,  we  had  a  roomful.  The  ladies  both 
spoke  very  good  English,  although  the  greater  part  of 
the  conversation,  due  to  my  secretary  being  admitted  to  it, 
was  in  French.  We  found  them  both  charming.  Countess 
Tugini,  while  not  a  beauty,  was  quite  pleasing  looking — a 
handsome  blonde.  Baroness  Acton  looked  like  a  German, 
was  of  medium  height,  with  a  good  face,  and  an  honest, 
sympathetic  manner.  We  liked  them  very  much.  Mr.  Wil- 
son was  a  man  of  about  sixty  to  sixty-three,  with  a  grizzly 
full  beard  and  mustache,  rather  short,  careless  of  dress,  and 
with  very  quiet  and  undemonstrative  manner.  Only  after 
he  had  gone  did  I  learn  that  he  was  a  correspondent  of  the 
London  "Times,"  and  it  was  just  as  well,  perhaps,  that 


TO  MEET  THE  KING  OF  SIAM  19 

it  was  so,  for  I  was  more  natural  and  less  reserved  than  I 
should  have  been  had  I  suspected  an  "interview."  Louise 
was  very  polite  to  him  and  he  remained  fully  half  an  hour 
after  the  Italian  ladies  had  gone.  So  ended  a  busy  day. 

In  the  evening,  I  received  an  invitation,  by  the  Grand 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  by  order  of  the  Khedive,  to  dine 
with  him  to-morrow,  Sunday,  at  Abdin  Palace,  to  meet 
the  King  of  Siam!  I  shall  go,  of  course ! ! ! 

Sunday — November  7.  I  shall  confine  my  account  of  this 
day  to  the  reception  given,  by  the  King  of  Siam  at  Abdin 
Palace,  to  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and  to  the  dinner  that 
followed,  given  by  His  Highness  the  Khedive,  in  honor 
of  the  distinguished  visitor  to  his  country,  for  little  else, 
if  anything  at  all,  is  worth  mentioning. 

We  were  invited  to  Abdin  Palace  for  the  first  ceremony 
at  5.30  P.M.,  and  as  the  Secretaries  of  the  Legations  were 
included  in  the  invitation,  Mr.  Watts,  acting  as  such,  ac- 
companied me.  We  were  driven  within  the  courtyard  of 
the  Palace  and  alighted  on  the  right  at  an  entrance  within 
the  building,  from  which  a  noble  staircase  of  marble  led 
to  the  floor  above.  There  we  found  officers  of  the  house- 
hold and  were  passed  on  by  them  until  the  apartment  in 
which  the  audience  was  to  take  place  was  reached. 

I  met  Lord  Cromer  just  as  I  entered  the  Palace,  and  we 
walked  up  the  stairway  together  and  continued  in  com- 
pany until  we  reached  the  salon.  There,  the  other  dip- 
lomats being  already  assembled,  he  introduced  me  to 
each  and  I  had  a  short  conversation  with  the  Diplomatic 
Agent  of  Germany,  Count  Metternich;  of  France,  M.  George 
Cogordan;  of  Holland,  Van  du  Does  de  Willebois;  of  Rus- 
sia, M.  Koyander;  of  Italy,  M.  Tugini.  The  others,  whose 


20  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

names  I  do  not  now  recall,  but  may  have  occasion  to  men- 
tion later  on,  simply  shook  hands  with  me  with  a  smile  and  a 
bow.  It  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  Lord  Cromer  was  the 
principal  figure  "in  the  show,"  and  this  was  made  the  more 
manifest  when  the  King  of  Siam  entered.  He  first  saluted 
Lord  Gromer,  who  was  nearest  to  the  door,  and  stood  and 
talked  with  him  cordially  and  for  some  time,  asking  him 
questions  and  frequently  laughing  at  his  replies.  He  spoke 
in  English,  not  very  well,  and  with  a  loud,  high  voice. 
Occasionally,  and  after  a  pause  in  the  conversation,  as  if 
he  had  been  thinking  what  to  ask  next,  he  would  almost 
shout  his  question,  and  you  were  impressed,  for  the  mo- 
ment, with  the  thought  that  he  was  about  to  make  a  stump 
speech,  after  the  American  style. 

After  leaving  Lord  Cromer,  he  turned  to  the  next  Agent, 
and  so  on  from  one  to  the  other  until  he  had  saluted  the 
whole  corps.  To  some  he  said  only  a  word  or  two.  To 
those  who  did  not  speak  English  he  only  made  a  bow,  but 
to  France  and  Germany  and  the  United  States  he  gave 
time  and  attention.  The  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Bou- 
tros  Pasha  Ghali,  accompanied  him  on  his  round  and 
introduced  to  him  the  several  diplomats.  When  he  came 
to  me,  dressed  in  evening  suit,  he  was  attracted  by  the 
order  or  insignium  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  which  I  wore  sus- 
pended on  a  ribbon  about  my  neck.  He  asked,  "What 
decoration  is  that?  I  do  not  know  it."  I  replied  that  it 
was  one  of  two  that  was  recognized  by  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  and  which  had  been  given  to  officers  of  the 
Army  and  Navy  who  had  participated  in  the  late  rebel- 
lion and  whose  record  was  such  as  to  entitle  them  to  wear 
it.  He  seemed  very  much  interested  and  said  he  regretted 
he  had  not  been  able  to  visit  the  United  States  on  this 


The  King  of  Siam  with  the  Khedive  and  his  Court 


THE  KING  OF  SIAM  21 

trip,  but  from  lack  of  time  had  been  obliged  to  forego  the 
pleasure.  He  is  rather  a  merry-looking,  round-faced, 
almond-eyed  man,  resembling  both  a  Japanese  and  a 
Chinaman;  in  fact  he  has  the  Asiatic  countenance.  He  is 
rather  stout  for  his  height.  He  was  dressed  in  a  coat  of 
white  cloth,  and,  if  I  remember  right,  trousers  of  the 
same.  Over  his  breast,  from  shoulder  to  thigh,  he  wore  a 
wide  scarlet  ribbon  of  some  order;  and  diamond  stars  — 
sufficient,  had  they  been  in  the  heavens,  to  satisfy  an 
ordinarily  eager  gazer  on  those  celestial  bodies  —  were 
hung  around  or  attached  to  his  breast,  as  well.  With  him, 
though  remaining  at  the  door,  were  members  of  his  suite, 
and  these  were  gorgeously  attired,  one  with  a  coat  of 
cloth  of  gold  that  was  simply  woven  of  threads  of  that 
precious  metal  and  was  stiff  enough  to  stand,  unwrinkled, 
by  itself.  He  too  had  stars  and  especially  buckles  that 
were  studded  with  diamonds  as  big  as  hazelnuts  or  fil- 
berts. The  ceremony  being  over,  we  all  filed  out  and  took 
our  carriages  for  our  several  homes.  I  found  Louise  with 
Mrs.  Brewster  and  the  wife,  I  think  it  was,  of  Ghereef 
Bey,  or  some  such  name.  Count  Montjoie  was  on  the 
Terrace  and  I  stopped  awhile  to  talk  with  him.  A  half- 
hour  later,  Louise  and  I  left  for  our  rooms,  leaving  my 
secretary  with  the  ladies.  I  had  to  prepare  for  the  dinner 
which  was  to  take  place  at  7.30. 

Promptly  at  that  hour  I  found  myself  ascending  the 
grand  stairway,  the  same  that  I  had  climbed  the  day  be- 
fore when  about  to  be  received  by  His  Highness,  and 
was  shown  into  the  apartment  where  the  Khedive  was 
receiving  his  guests.  I  found  there  the  same  gentlemen 
of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and  with  them  the  princes  of 
the  royal  family  and  high  officers  of  the  Court,  together 


22  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

with  the  members  of  the  Council.  The  Khedive  received 
each  as  he  entered,  and  after  shaking  hands  with  me, 
with  a  word  of  greeting,  I  took  my  place  on  the  right  side 
of  the  room,  awaiting  the  coming  of  the  guest  of  the 
evening,  with  his  suite.  The  King  of  Siam  soon  arrived, 
and  His  Highness  joining  him,  the  couple  preceded  the 
company  to  the  banqueting  hall,  a  superb  room,  beauti- 
fully lighted  and  tastefully  decorated.  The  tables  were 
placed  thus: 


X      O 


TS.H. 


At  the  head  sat  the  Khedive  (0)  and  on  his  right  (X) 
the  King;  next  to  him  sat  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  and  next 
to  him,  one  of  the  King's  sons  —  or  one  of  his  brothers 
as  I  afterwards  heard  it  might  have  been.  He  appeared 
much  too  old  to  have  been  a  son,  and  it  may  have  been  a 
brother,  for  in  these  Eastern  lands,  the  next  heir  to  the 
throne  is  frequently  a  brother  next  in  age,  and  not  the 
eldest  son  of  the  reigning  sovereign.  I  now  remember  that 
it  was  one  of  the  sons  that  sat  on  the  right  of  Mehemet 
Ali;  it  was  the  brother  that  sat  on  the  left  of  His  High- 
ness, the  real  place  of  honor.  I  was  well  placed,  the  ninth 
on  the  left  of  the  Khedive,  and  no  one  between  him  and 


THE  BANQUET  AT  THE  PALACE          23 

me,  excepting  the  Siamese  and  princes  of  the  reigning 
house  of  Egypt,  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,1  and  Count  Metternich,  the  German  Agent  —  the 
last  on  my  right.  On  my  left  was  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  a 
distinguished  Englishman  and  virtual  controller  of  the 
finances  of  the  country. 

Just  as  the  King  and  Khedive,  followed  by  his  other 
guests,  were  leaving  the  reception  room,  the  electric  lights 
suddenly  went  out  and  a  comparative  darkness  followed, 
the  usual  candelabra  of  candles  seeming  quite  inadequate 
to  illumine  the  apartments.  The  banqueting-tables,  how- 
ever, had  numerous  candelabra,  and  the  room  if  not  bril- 
liant, was  fairly  well  lighted.  It  was  at  least  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  before  the  electric  lights  resumed.  The  Khedive's 
mortification  and  displeasure  were  plainly  noticeable.  It 
was  the  first  time  electricity  had  been  used  in  the  palace. 

All  of  the  diners  were  most  gorgeously  attired,  with 
gold  enough  on  their  coats  to  insure  a  return  to  the  gold 
standard  had  the  country  been  reduced  to  paper  money! 
Only  Count  Metternich  and  myself  were  in  ordinary 
evening  dress,  while  I,  in  addition  to  the  Loyal  Legion 
insignium,  with  ribbon  around  my  neck,  carried  on  my  left 
breast  the  decoration  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

1  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  was  a  respectable  Copt,  or  Christian  Egyptian.  He 
was  appointed  after  this  period  (in  1907)  Prime  Minister  by  the  successor  of 
Lord  Cromer,  Sir  Eldon  Gorst.  He  replaced  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  whose 
infirmities  and  age  compelled  him  to  give  up  his  office.  His  appointment  caused 
a  serious  feud  between  the  Mohammedan  Nationalists  and  their  Christian 
colleagues.  The  two  factions  sprang  at  each  other's  throats,  and  at  last,  in  1910, 
Boutros  Pasha  paid  with  his  life  the  price  of  his  elevation.  He  was  assassinated 
by  a  Nationalist  named  Wardani.  Sir  Eldon  Gorst,  who  is  said  to  have  been 
"watching  the  fight  with  a  sardonic  smile,"  was  profoundly  moved  when  the 
comedy  became  a  tragedy.  He  saw  to  it  that  Wardani  paid  the  penalty  of  his 
dastardly  crime,  although  the  Nationalists  had  sworn  he  should  escape.  When 
the  black  flag  went  up  over  the  prison,  however,  it  marked  their  defeat  and 
peace.  For  an  Egyptian  knows  when  he  is  beaten.  (EDITOR.) 


24  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

No  one  knew  but  it  was  equal  to  the  Iron  Gross  or  the 
Order  of  the  Bath!  It  certainly  was  equally  honorable 
and  often  more  difficult  of  attainment;  it  meant  active 
service  in  a  great  war  and  a  deserved  record  in  most  cases. 
Many,  however,  who  begrudge  the  veteran  his  well- 
earned  pension,  will  not  agree  with  me. 

The  menu  was  a  good  one,  but  the  food  was  not  hot, 
a  fact  that  is  apparent  at  almost  all  large  banquets;  al- 
though this  one  did  not  include  more  than  sixty  covers. 

Consomme  a  la  d'Orleans 

Timbales  a  la  Nantua 

Poisson  a  la  Valengay 

Filet  de  boeuf  a  la  Richelieu 

Supreme  de  poulardes  a  la  Bankok 

Cotelettes  d'agneau  a  la  Bearnaise 

Terrines  de  Nerac  en  belle-vue 

Sorbet  au  Marasquin 
Cailles  rdties  sur  canape 

Salade  Russe 
Asperges  en  branches 
Savarin  a  la  Khedive 

Bombe  panachee 
Paillettes  au  fromage 

Dessert 

Palais  d'Abdine 
le  7  Novembre  1897 

We  arose  from  the  table  at  about  nine  o'clock  and  were 
led  back  to  the  reception  room,  where  cigars,  cigarettes, 
coffee,  cognac,  and  liqueurs  were  served.  While  all  of 
us  were  smoking,  the  King  of  Siam  walked  about  among 
the  Diplomatic  Corps,  saluting  one  after  another,  for  a 
short  talk,  and  I  again  received  a  good  part  of  his  atten- 


TALK  WITH  THE  KING  25 

tion,  the  subject  again  being  decorations  and  the  United 
States.  His  remarks  concerning  our  country,  however, 
did  not  evidence  much,  if  any,  knowledge  of  its  institu- 
tions, its  government,  or  its  people.  They  were  mostly 
expressions  of  regret  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  visit  it 
during  his  present  trip.  I  judge  that  he  is  pretty  well  satis- 
fied with  himself  and  his  importance  and  much  under- 
estimates that  of  the  great  Western  Republic.  I  was  back 
at  Shepheard's  by  ten  o'clock.  Altogether,  the  experience 
was  interesting  and  novel.  I  had,  during  the  smoking 
half-hour,  some  pleasant  chats  with  the  French,  Russian, 
and  Holland  Agents;  and,  had,  during  the  dinner,  with 
Count  Metternich  and  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,1  a  very  agree- 
able time. 

November  8.  Nothing  of  importance  occurred  to-day, 
excepting  that  Mr.  Hewat,  the  Consular  Agent  at  Alex- 
andria, called  upon  me  at  the  Agency,  by  appointment.  I 
assured  him  of  my  good-will  and  that  I  knew  only  of  good 
reasons  why  he  should  continue  to  hold  office  at  Alex- 
andria. I  left  the  Agency  about  noon,  having  a  very  bad 
cold  and  there  being  no  place  there,  as  yet,  to  sit  about 
comfortably.  In  the  afternoon  drove  with  Louise  to  Ghe- 
zireh  Palace  Hotel  to  look  at  the  Ismail  apartment. 
"Luigi"  was  up  the  river  with  the  King  of  Siam,  so 
nothing  was  concluded.  We  received  an  invitation  from 
Lord  and  Lady  Cromer  to  dine  with  them  on  Saturday 
next,  November  13.  We  go  to  an  "at  home"  there  to- 

1  Sir  Elwin  Palmer  succeeded  Sir  Edgar  Vincent  in  the  summer  of  1889, 
when  the  latter  left  Egypt,  where  he  had  been  at  the  head  of  the  Caisse  de  la 
Dette  as  Financial  Adviser  and  had  initiated  many  reforms,  which  under  Sir 
Elwin  Palmer  produced  such  brilliant  results,  bringing  about  the  final  regen- 
eration of  Egypt.  (EDITOR.) 


26  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

night,  thus  breaking  the  ice  on  the  social  river,  with  a  won- 
dering, more  or  less  amused,  thought,  whether  the  cur- 
rent is  to  be  sluggish  or  swift,  or  whether  we  shall  find 
the  waters  cold  or  warm,  muddy  or  clear!  Nous  verrons! 
I  do  not  feel,  notwithstanding  the  interest  I  have  just 
expressed,  any  desire  whatever  to  make  a  business  either 
of  going  to  or  of  giving  luncheons,  dinners,  "at  homes," 
or  balls.  I  suppose,  however,  that  I  must  go  through 
with  a  certain  amount  of  them,  and  endure  them  as  best 
I  may. 

November  9.  Louise  and  I  both  have  bad  colds  to-day, 
although  we  have  been  out,  she  all  the  morning,  and  I  as 
well,  until  after  five  o'clock,  at  the  office.  I  had  another 
busy  day  with  my  correspondence  and  interviews  at  the 
Agency  and  at  Ghizeh. 

At  the  latter,  by  appointment,  I  saw  M.  Victor  Loret, 
the  Director  of  the  Museum,  or  of  the  section  of  it  that 
has  jurisdiction  over  the  excavations  in  Egypt.  My  visit 
was  induced  by  instructions  from  the  Department  at  Wash- 
ington to  do  all  in  the  power  of  the  Agency  in  favor  of 
the  American  Exploration  Society,  of  which  Dr.  William 
Pepper  is  president,  and  Mrs.  Cornelius  Stevenson,  secre- 
tary. The  Director  had  received  letters  from  both  of  them, 
and  both  of  them  had  interviewed  me  in  Philadelphia 
immediately  before  my  departure. 

.Unfortunately,  M.  Loret  did  not  understand  English 
and  as  my  knowledge  of  French  did  not  permit  me  to  be 
as  strong  in  my  argument  as  I  should  have  been  in  my 
own  tongue,  I  felt  at  some  loss.  However,  I  consider  that 
I  made  him  sufficiently  understand  what  was  needed.  Be- 
fore I  left  I  received  his  expressions  of  sympathy  and  his 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATION  SOCIETY      27 

promise  to  do  what  he  could  to  get  concessions  for  the 
Society  which  would  allow  the  excavations  to  proceed,  if 
not  this  year,  then  next.  Unfortunately,  the  Council  that 
determines  whether  or  not  permission  shall  be  given  sits 
but  once  a  year  (to-morrow)  and  the  time  to  consider 
the  application  of  the  Society  was  too  short;  and  further, 
I  had  been  put  in  possession  of  so  few  facts  respecting 
the  scope  of  the  Society,  its  work  and  relations,  that  I  was 
unable  to  do  more  than  assure  the  Director  of  its  respecta- 
bility and  the  importance  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania which  I  believed  it  would  principally  favor.  In  the 
afternoon  I  wrote  an  engagement  for  the  Society  to  M. 
Loret,  promising,  should  the  concession  be  made,  that  it 
would  accept  such  territory  as  the  Council  might  assign 
as  well  as  obey  such  regulations  as  might  be  promulgated, 
and  further  that  the  man  in  charge  of  the  work  should  either 
be  of  the  Council's  appointment  —  an  experienced  Egyp- 
tologist —  or  one  that  the  Council  would  approve  of  the 
Society's  appointment.  The  letter  was  sent  by  mail  late 
this  afternoon. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  Lord  and  Lady 
Cromer's  "  at  home."  I  greatly  feared  that  I  would  have  to 
go  alone  with  my  secretary,  Louise  had  such  a  cold,  with 
pains  in  her  back  and  aches  in  all  her  bones;  but  at  9.15 
she  concluded  to  dress  and  we  got  off  at  10.15,  she  care- 
fully bundled  up.  There  were  only  about  thirty-five  to 
forty  there:  among  them  the  Italian  Minister  and  the 
Countess  Tugini;  Lord  Granville,  a  young  and  polite 
attache  of  the  English  Agency;  Mme.  de  Mohl;  Count 
and  Countess  Quadt,  Count  Golokunzki,  etc.  Nothing 
but  tea,  lemonade,  and  cake  for  refreshments !  The  house 
is  spacious  and  elegant,  with  some  rich  and  appropriate 


28  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

furnishings.  At  first,  we  assembled  in  the  drawing-room; 
afterwards  in  the  ballroom  and  music-room,  a  large 
square  apartment,  with  glaring  white  walls  and  ceilings, 
unrelieved  by  gilding  or  any  color;  the  furniture,  too, 
was  of  white  woodwork  and  the  stuffs  with  which  it  was 
upholstered  lacked  character.  The  lights  were  electric  — 
and  the  whole  was  very  trying  to  the  women. 

Lady  Cromer  was  very  gracious  and  her  husband  a 
polite  host.  I  was  presented  to  Miss  Baring,  a  niece  of 
Lord  Gromer,  neither  good-looking  nor  otherwise;  rather 
frail  in  make-up.  Also  to  a  bride,  a  Mrs.  Nicholson,  who 
came  out  from  London  in  the  Egypt  and,  with  the  groom, 
had  the  stateroom  next  to  ours.  She  is  very  pretty  and 
animated.  Louise  wore  her  black-and-white  Paquin  crea- 
tion, a  lovely  gown,  and  looked  charming,  although  so 
far  from  well.  It  was  remarkable  to  me  how  she  was 
able  to  forget  her  aches  and  ills  and  enter  into  the  spirit  of 
the  evening,  sluggish  as  it  undoubtedly  was.  One  of  the 
gentlemen,  and  afterwards  one  of  the  ladies,  played  upon 
the  grand  piano  that  was  in  the  room.  The  airs  were  un- 
familiar to  me  and  the  execution  may  have  been  perfect, 
but  I  failed  to  enjoy  either.  We  left  the  house  about 
11.30.  On  return  to  the  hotel,  not  having  gone  down  to 
table  d'hote  dinner,  I  made  a  hearty  meal  of  bread,  but- 
ter, and  cold  roast  beef,  washing  them  down  generously 
with  Munich  beer ! ! 

November  10.  This  morning  at  Collicott's  respecting  my 
navy  dress  suit,  and  afterwards  was  at  the  office  until 
11.30  when  I  went  to  look  at  a  furnished  house.  Aside 
from  the  rent  of  six  hundred  dollars  per  month  it  was  ob- 
jectionable in  many  respects. 


DENGUE  FEVER  29 

Returned  to  office  and  wrote  to  Judge  Tuck  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  judgeship  at  Alexandria.  I  told  him  that  the 
Khedive  and  his  advisers  had  already  voted  an  assignment 
both  to  Alexandria  and  Mansourah,  and  such  being  the 
case  would  it  be  worth  while  to  do  more  than  protest?  — 
that  in  my  opinion  the  appointment  to  Alexandria  of  the 
German  would  not  be  annulled  by  anything  I  might  say, 
so  why  waste  powder  asking  for  it?  I  suggested  that  he 
write  a  form  of  a  letter  for  the  Agency  to  send  to  Boutros 
Pasha  (as  he  was  so  much  more  familiar  with  the  whole 
matter  of  the  past  three  years  than  I),  and,  if  I  approved 
it,  I  would  have  it  sent  to  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
over  my  signature. 

When  I  returned  to  Shepheard's  I  found  Louise  still 
abed,  with  less  pain  than  yesterday,  but  evidently  with 
fever,  and  concluded  it  would  be  more  prudent  to  send  for 
a  doctor.  This  I  set  about  doing  by  having  my  secretary 
find  out  who  attended  Lady  Gromer;  learning  this,  he 
sought  and  found  him.  When  the  doctor  came,  which  he 
did  about  5.30,  he  pronounced  it  an  attack  of  dengue  fever, 
a  local  trouble  that  was  now  almost  epidemic  and  usual 
in  the  month  of  November.  Louise  is  to  remain  in  bed 
three  or  four  days  and  eat  only  "baby  food,"  when  it  is 
expected  she  will  be  well  again.  My  secretary,  too,  has  an 
attack  of  the  fever  and  has  been  put  to  bed.  I  remained 
in  the  room  with  Louise  all  the  afternoon  and  evening, 
reading  "New  Egypt,"  by  Adams.  The  book  is  inter- 
esting and  strongly  written.  Its  descriptions  of  the  Khe- 
dive and  of  Lord  Cromer  are  lifelike,  and  the  details  of 
interviews  with  them  are  very  entertaining.  I  gather  from 
it  that  Adams  does  not  believe  that  England  will  evacu- 
ate Egypt;  that  he  is  rather  inclined  to  the  opinion  she 


30  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

should  not,  for  the  good  of  Egypt;  at  the  same  time  he 
gives  the  impression  that  England  is  in  honor  bound  to 
keep  her  promise  and  leave  the  country  as  soon  as  strength 
to  govern  by  the  Khedive's  Government  prevails  and 
quiet  exists. 

For  my  part,  I  do  not  believe  that  England  will  let  go. 
Egypt  is  but  a  pawn  on  the  world's  board,  and,  in  Eng- 
land's game  in  the  East,  with  the  Canal,  is  essential  to  her. 
It  must  be  held  or  protected  by  her.  The  evacuation  of 
Egypt,  either  diplomatically  or  by  force,  will  mark  the  be- 
ginning of  England's  loss  of  prestige.  For  her  to  remain 
may  be  irksome  to  the  Khedive  and  to  his  family,  to  the 
Pashas  and  those  who  do  not  work,  who  live  on  the  labor 
of  others;  but  certainly,  in  my  opinion,  there  would  be 
no  gain  to  the  common  people,  the  middle  classes,  or  to 
those  who  wish  well  to  the  country,  in  a  change  from  that 
of  the  English  to  the  old  system,  or  to  a  new  one  under  the 
Khedive,  or  to  a  "dual  control"  as  under  the  protection 
of  the  French  and  Germans,  or  of  any  other  two  nations. 

England's  rule  is  constitutional  at  home,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  official  responsibility  as  well  as  the  superb  char- 
acter of  her  civil  service  warrant  the  conclusion  that  the 
happiness  of  the  people  of  Egypt,  their  increase  in  comfort 
and  material  wealth,  are  as  secure  —  if  not  more  so  —  un- 
der her  present  rule,  as  they  possibly  could  be  under  any 
other  system. 

November  11.  Louise  abed  all  day  —  no  fever  and  no 
pain.  Dr.  Sandwith  thought  the  case  a  light  one  and  that 
she  could  get  up  to-morrow  and  use  the  salon  and  her  own 
room,  sitting  about.  She,  however,  began  to  have  severe 
pains  in  her  back  early  in  the  evening  which  bade  fair  to 


VACANCY  IN  THE  MIXED  COURT    31 

continue  all  night.  Unfortunately,  she  had  taken,  during 
the  day,  almost  all  of  the  medicine  prescribed  to  relieve 
the  pain. 

I  received  quite  a  mail  this  morning  from  Gregerson, 
my  brother  John,  Miss  Turner,  and  my  nephew  Leland. 
Wrote  to  Baker,  authorizing  him  to  buy  "Brig's"  colts 
with  proceeds  of  sale  of  "Daireen."  Received  a  cablegram 
from  Assistant  Secretary  Cridler,  asking  if  Judge  Fearn 
had  resigned,  and  I  sent  Watts  to  Boutros  Pasha  to  in- 
quire. Learning  that  he  had,  I  cabled  "Yes."  Boutros 
Pasha  told  Watts  that  Judge  Batcheller  would  be  accept- 
able. In  the  afternoon  I  was  driven  to  Ghezireh  to  see 
Luigi  to  learn  his  terms  for  the  Khedivial  apartments;  but 
he  had  not  returned  from  his  trip  up  the  Nile  with  the 
King  of  Siam.  Dined  alone  and  went  to  bed  at  9.15. 

November  12.  Last  night  was  a  bad  one  for  poor  Louise. 
About  eight  o'clock  the  fever  pains  came  on  again  and 
thereafter  until  daybreak,  and  even  after,  all  day  until  the 
doctor  came.  The  pain  in  her  back  was  excruciating :  really 
a  terrible  night  for  her.  My  secretary,  too,  had  a  bad 
night;  his  aches  were  in  the  head. 

I  wrote  at  the  hotel  until  about  noon,  when  the  doctor 
called,  letters  of  importance  to  Washington,  and  others. 
Then  I  went  to  the  Agency.  Found  an  important  dispatch 
from  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali  respecting  the  vacancy  in  the 
Mixed  Court,1  with  a  recommendation  on  the  part  of  the 

1  Before  Mixed  Tribunals  were  established  in  February,  1876,  all  suits 
against  foreigners  were  brought  before  their  respective  Consular  Courts.  Sir 
Alfred  Milner  states  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  give  an  idea  of  the  un- 
scrupulousness  with  which  foreign  Diplomatic  Agents,  especially  during  the 
reign  of  Ismail,  used  their  influence  to  obtain  from  poor,  weak  Egypt  the  pay- 
ment of  even  the  most  preposterous  demands.  When  the  International  Tri- 
bunals came  into  existence,  there  were  £40,000,000  foreign  claims  outstand- 
ing against  the  Government.  One  claim  of  30,000,000  francs  was  awarded 
£1000.  This  gives  a  notion  of  the  wholesale  injustice  of  these  claims.  (EDITOR.) 


32  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Egyptian  Government  of  Judge  Batcheller,  who  had  been 
on  the  Court  and  left,  I  think,  in  1885.  If  I  remember 
right,  this  man  was  a  high  officer  of  the  late  International 
Postal  Convention  at  Washington.  Colonel  Long  told  me 
of  him,  and  from  what  he  said,  I  am  not  very  favorably 
disposed  towards  him.  On  the  other  hand,  I  believe  him 
to  be  a  friend  of  my  friend,  "Joe"  McCammon,  of  Wash- 
ington, and  he  thinks  well  of  him.  However,  I  only  con- 
firmed the  cablegram  I  sent  yesterday,  that  Judge  Fearn 
had  resigned  and  sent  a  copy  of  the  letter  of  Boutros  Pasha 
to  the  Department.  In  the  afternoon,  I  returned  to  the 
Agency,  and  at  4  P.M.  took  a  drive  in  the  bicycle  wagon, 
"Lady  Knox"  in  the  shafts,  and  Jack  beside  me.  Went  to 
the  Ghezireh  Sporting  Club  and  paid  my  dues  for  this 
year.  This  will  entitle  my  secretary  to  go  within  the  club 
grounds  with  Louise  or  me,  but  not  to  play  any  of  the 
games.  Louise  has  all  the  rights  I  have.  The  doctor  came 
again  about  10.30  P.M.  ;  I  thought,  from  a  rash  on  my  chest, 
that  I  was  about  to  fall  a  victim  to  the  fever,  but  it  turned 
out  only  a  prickly  heat  expression.  I  forgot  yesterday  to 
record  the  receipt  of  a  cablegram  from  Mr.  William  H. 
Nichols,  President,  New  York,  as  follows:  "Manufacturing 
Chemists  Association  miss  you  at  their  meeting  to-day 
and  send  best  wishes."  I  wrote  to  Nichols  acknowledging 
and  expressing  my  gratification  at  being  remembered. 

November  13.  Louise  still  too  sick  to  be  out  of  bed.  She 
had  a  much  better  night,  however;  in  fact,  slept  through- 
out and  felt  much  improved  this  morning.  The  doctor 
came  about  12.30,  just  as  I  was  returning  from  the  office, 
and  he  smilingly  said,  "the  case  was  as  good  as  one  had 
a  right  to  expect." 


Lady  Cromer 


DINNER  WITH  LORD   GROMER  33 

I  went  early  to  the  office  and  did  a  lot  of  miscellaneous 
work,  notably  preparing  a  letter  of  instructions  to  Ameri- 
can shipping  to  this  market.  Louise's  dress,  that  had  been 
shipped  from  Paris  about  three  weeks  ago,  turned  up 
in  Alexandria,  where  it  had  been  since  the  6th.  So  far,  I 
have  heard  nothing  of  the  cigars  from  Havana  nor  the 
chinaware  from  Dresden.  Wrote  to  Nichols  and  Lamm. 
Also  wrote  to  Miss  Turner  for  the  letter-book  files.  Watts 
called  to  see  how  Louise  and  my  secretary  were.  The 
latter  dictated  two  letters  to  Irene,  my  wife's  Italian  maid ; 
one  enclosing  twenty  lire  to  the  Turin  mattre  d'hotel  and 
the  other  to  the  Florentine  chef. 

In  the  evening  at  eight  o'clock,  I  went  to  Lord  and  Lady 
Cromer's  dinner.  There  were  but  twelve  guests  at  the 
table,  including  the  host  and  hostess.  I  was  received  in 
the  drawing-room,  where  already  most  of  the  guests  were 
assembled.  Both  host  and  hostess  were  very  cordial  and 
asked  particularly  about  Louise,  expressing  regrets  that  she 
was  ill  and  unable  to  be  present.  I  took  Lady  Cromer  in 
to  dinner  and  sat  on  her  right.  The  ends  of  the  table  were 
occupied  by  two  gentlemen,  whose  names  I  don't  remem- 
ber, and  the  sides  each  by  five  persons.  Lord  Cromer  sat 
opposite  to  his  wife,  immediately  in  the  center  of  one  of  the 
sides.  Next  to  me,  on  my  right,  sat  Miss  Baring,  a  niece 
of  Lord  Gromer's,  a  sweet,  young  fresh-looking,  though 
not  a  robust  English  girl,  who  had  just  come  out  to  pass 
the  winter.  So  I  was  well  placed.  With  Lady  Cromer,  I 
talked  mostly  of  Egyptian  life  as  led  by  Europeans,  their 
amusements  and  occupations;  of  her  husband,  of  whom, 
of  course,  she  is  a  great  admirer;  of  flower-shows,  of  horse- 
shows,  of  house  servants,  of  languages,  what-not?  I  found 
her  attentive,  sympathetic,  and  while  not  original,  solidly 


34 


DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 


sensible.  Miss  Baring  was  guileless  and  unaffected.  She 
spoke  of  her  anticipated  enjoyment  of  the  coming  sea- 
son, of  the  delay  in  the  receipt  of  a  Paris  dress,  a  matter 
she  enlarged  upon  as  a  thing  of  the  first  importance,  "for 
you  know,"  she  said,  "I  don't  get  all  my  gowns  in  Paris, 
I  can't  afford  it."  The  table  was  beautifully  set,  the  glass 
being  especially  elegant  —  strikingly  so.  Goblets  and 
not  tumblers  —  all  the  stems  were  spiral  and  gilded  bright 
gold,  and  on  each  piece  was  a  monogram.  The  champagne 
glasses  were  high.  In  the  middle  of  the  meal,  a  cherry 
bounce  was  served  in  small  glasses,  and  these  were  within, 
but  a  little  higher  than,  a  small  silver  con- 
tainer of  the  same  form.  The  glass  was  about 
one  inch  high  by  seven  eighths  of  an  inch 
wide.  The  linen  was  exquisite — only  a  few  simple  flowers 
in  the  center  ornament.  There  were  five  ornaments,  gold 
or  gilded  vessels,  along  the  center  line  of  the  table,  with 


two  flat  dishes  (and  all  of  these  gilded)  on  each  side  of  the 
center  ornament.  This,  containing  flowers,  was  higher  than 
its  side  companions.  They 
were  two,  round,  about 
eight  inches  in  diameter, 
and  say,  eight  inches  high,  like  a  large  bowl,  but  with  the 
sides  fluted.  Those  nearest  the  ends  of  the  table  were  in 
the  same  style,  but  were  oval.  These,  with  the  handsome 


DINNER  WITH  LORD  CROMER  35 

glass,  were  the  only  ornaments  of  the  table.  No  small,  in- 
significant dishes,  with  almonds,  sweetmeats,  nuts  or  cakes. 
Simplex  munditiis  —  the  wines  were  served  from  decanters, 
excepting  the  champagnes.  They,  a  sweet  and  a  dry,  were 
served  in  long-necked  flasks  that  seemed  large  enough  to 
hold  one  and  a  half  bottles;  very  curious-looking,  and  ap- 
parently without  stoppers.  The  service  was  by  two  East 
Indians,  who  were  turbaned  and  dressed  in  white  and 
gold.  The  dinner  was  more  than  excellent;  everything 
that  should  have  been  hot  was  so.  First,  a  clear,  golden 
soup,  with  small  green  balls  of  something  soft,  —  eggs  and 
cornmeal,  most  likely;  then  an  entree,  en  timbale;  then 
what  seemed  a  fricandeau  of  veal  and  a  variety  of  deco- 
rative vegetables  around  the  dish;  then  cold  breasts  of  wild 
ducks,  I  think  with  meat  jelly;  an  aspic  and  a  potato 
mayonnaise  salad  were  served  at  the  same  time;  then  an 
ice  and  a  pastry;  but  just  before  this,  a  cherry  bounce 
from  Norway;  again,  either  a  crisp  cake  or  pastry  —  no 
cheese. 

After  this,  the  wine-glasses  were  removed  and  the  ladies 
rose  and  left  the  men  at  the  table,  where  coffee  (Turkish) 
was  served  with  cigarettes;  two  fresh  wine-glasses  were 
placed  before  each  and  a  choice  of  claret  and  some  other 
wine  (port)  offered.  Lord  Cromer  changed  his  place  and 
took  the  one  next  to  me  that  had  been  occupied  by  his 
wife.  I  chatted  with  him  and  my  neighbors  on  my  right. 
The  only  people  that  I  knew  at  the  table  were  the  de 
Mohls,  besides  the  host  and  hostess,  although  two  of  the 
gentlemen  said  they  had  called  on  us,  but  had  had  to  con- 
tent themselves  with  leaving  cards. 

The  dinner  lasted  until  9.45, — that  is,  the  dinner  proper 
from  8.15  to  9.25,  —  the  smoke  about  twenty  minutes. 


36  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

After  that  we  all  went  to  join  the  ladies  in  the  drawing- 
room.  There  I  met  the  Sirdar,  Major-General  Kitchener; 
and  shortly  afterwards  I  excused  myself  on  the  plea  of 
Louise's  sickness  and  said  "Good-night."  Lord  Cromer 
accompanied  me  from  the  room  to  the  door,  calling  for 
my  carriage  himself. 

November  14.  Louise  still  abed  all  day,  though  much 
better.  It  was  so  unusually  cold  for  the  season  of  the 
year,  that  fires  would  have  been  in  order  had  there  been 
any  place  in  the  hotel  or  our  rooms  to  make  them.  There 
being  none,  it  was  thought  more  prudent  that  Louise 
remain  in  bed.  She  felt  able  to  get  up  and  the  doctor  was 
willing  that  she  should  for  a  few  hours. 

I  went  to  the  office  a  little  while  to  decipher  a  cable- 
gram that  I  had  received  about  the  shipment  of  the  horse 
"Otto"  which  I  had  wired  to  be  forwarded  by  an  early 
steamer.  The  dispatch  said  there  would  be  none  that  would 
sail  before  the  27th  of  December  and  I  concluded  to  wire 
to-morrow  (Monday)  not  to  ship  him,  and  to  content 
myself  with  buying  something  here  for  my  own  driving. 

In  the  afternoon  I  was  driven  down  the  road  to  the 
Pyramids.  The  wind  was  very  strong  and  the  air  cold. 
I  was  glad  to  get  back  even  to  the  cold  rooms  of  the 
hotel.  My  secretary  had  risen  and  was  in  one  of  the  sit- 
ting-rooms. Remained  indoors  all  the  evening  and  went 
to  bed  before  ten  o'clock.  Lord  and  Lady  Cromer  called 
in  the  afternoon  to  inquire  after  Louise  —  a  piece  of  at- 
tention that  was  very  gratifying. 

November  15.  Louise  had  a  good  night  and  was  much 
better  this  morning,  so  much  so  that,  after  a  fire  had  been 


General  Kitchener 


BUYING  RUGS  37 

made  in  her  room,  and  another  one  in  the  sitting-room, 
in  the  little  oil  stove  that  I  had  brought  from  America, 
she  got  up  and  was  made  comfortable  where  she  could  be 
amused  with  talk  or  book.  My  secretary  joined  her  about 
eleven  o'clock,  after  I  had  started  for  the  office. 

The  Arab  with  the  carpets,  who  agreed  to  accept 
thirty-two  pounds  for  them,  came,  but  the  rascal  did  not 
bring  with  him  the  same  rugs.  However,  I  selected  four- 
teen and  put  the  money  in  his  hand,  but  he  refused  to  ac- 
cept the  sum,  although  he  left  the  carpets  at  the  Agency 
for  us  to  consider.  Were  I  certain  that  we  should  go  into  the 
house,  I  would  close  with  him  at  once  for  a  pound  or  two 
more,  which  I  am  sure  he  would  accept.  The  plumber 
came  and  we  looked  over  the  work  done  by  him.  He  ad- 
mitted his  errors  and  agreed  to  correct  them.  Louise  now 
thinks  if  steam  heat  can  be  put  into  the  house,  it  might  be 
made  comfortable,  but  my  impression  is  that  with  a  big 
stove  down  in  the  lower  hall  and  a  couple  of  Franklins, 
one  in  the  drawing-room  and  one  in  the  room  above  it,  we 
should  be  warm  enough  —  especially  with  our  three  little 
oil  stoves. 

When  I  awoke  in  the  morning  I  experienced  a  sharp, 
knife-like  pain  under  my  right  shoulder-blade;  it  was  not 
continuous  at  first,  but  intermitting;  but  towards  noon, 
it  had  established  itself  and  became  a  constant  companion. 
I  remained  indoors  all  afternoon  in  consequence,  also 
during  the  evening,  and  before  going  to  bed  put  on  an 
Allcock's  Porous  Plaster.  I  cabled  H.  B.  and  Company 
not  to  ship  the  horse  and  to  tell  Baker  not  to  sacrifice  the 
stallions  or  brood  mares  at  the  sale. 

November  16.  Louise  better  to-day,  and  in  the  sitting- 


38  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

room  until  9  P.M.,  looking  in  the  evening,  though  pulled 
down,  like  her  own  dear  self  —  not  haggard  or  delicate- 
looking,  but  with  a  color  and  brightness  that  was  pleasing 
to  see. 

I  got  off  to  the  Agency  early  and  started  my  petroleum 
stove.  Wrote  letters,  especially  to  Mr.  Hewat,  about 
goods  arriving  in  Alexandria  for  me.  My  cigars  and  seven 
cases  of  champagne  already  arrived  there  and  should  be 
in  Cairo  to-morrow. 

M.  Loret,  Director  of  the  Service  des  Antiquites,  called 
to  inform  me  officially  that  my  request  in  favor  of  the 
American  Exploration  Society,  of  which  Dr.  William 
Pepper  is  president  and  Mrs.  Stevenson,  secretary,  had 
been  granted.  He  left  with  me  a  copy  of  the  formal  paper 
that  is  to  be  signed  by  the  Administration  of  the  Museum 
and  the  American  Society.  I  consider  getting  this  priv- 
ilege (privilege  to  explore  at  Tanis  and  to  excavate,  by 
which  the  Society  gets  one  half  of  everything,  excepting 
bodies  and  belongings  of  royal  personages)  a  great  piece  of 
work  and  most  creditable  to  the  Agency,  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  the  application  was  made  only  one  day 
before  the  sitting  of  the  Council  (which  meets  but  once 
yearly  to  decide  on  matters  relating  to  the  Museum), 
and  was  couched  in  such  indefinite  terms,  and  for  a  so- 
ciety that  was  entirely  unknown;  and  further,  it  always 
having  been  held  that  at  least  one  week  must  be  given 
the  experts  of  the  Museum  to  study  and  consider  all 
requests  for  grants,  I  am  sure  that  what  I  claim  as  "a 
piece  of  good  work"  will  be  admitted  by  all  who  know 
the  facts.  The  principal  thing  was  at  the  start  to  gain 
the  good-will  of  M.  Loret,  and  the  result  shows,  as  Mr. 
Watts  has  said,  I  did  that  completely. 


A  PALACE  IN  DECAY  39 

My  secretary  left  cards  for  us  on  fourteen  persons,  and 
still  there  are  a  number  yet  to  be  called  upon  whose  cards 
are  before  me.  In  the  evening  I  received  a  note  from  Sir 
Elwin  Palmer  that  he  had  been  able  to  get  a  premiere 
loge  for  us  —  a  thing  said  to  be  impossible  —  so  that  mat- 
ter is  most  delightfully  settled.  The  opening  night  of  the 
opera  will  be  on  the  19th,  Saturday  next.  I  read  "Bel 
Ami"  until  11  P.M.  Had  fires  in  the  sitting-room  until 
bed-time  and  in  one  of  the  bedrooms,  for  Louise,  until 
nine  o'clock,  when  she  retired. 

November  17.  Louise  not  so  well  this  morning,  though 
the  dengue  has  been  conquered.  She  had  one  of  her  old- 
fashioned  headaches  and  suffered  excruciating  pain.  It 
wore  off  during  the  day,  and  by  five  o'clock  and  through- 
out the  evening  she  was  her  own  bright  self.  Fero  drove 
my  secretary  and  me,  with  Andrass  to  see  a  palace  at 
Koobeh  that  was  to  be  let.  We  drove  the  pair  of  mares 
to  the  two-seated  surrey,  which  attracted  much  attention. 
The  wheels  looked  so  light  that  an  Arab  in  front  of  Shep- 
heard's  knocked  one  of  the  spokes  to  see  if  it  was  not  of 
iron!  The  palace  had  been  built  by  Ismail  and  was  situ- 
ated, after  a  drive  down  a  noble  avenue  of  acacias  of 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  in  about  the  center  of  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  Its  exterior  was  shabby  and  many  parts 
were  going  to  decay.  The  interior  was  beautifully  deco- 
rated and  furnished,  but  the  ceilings  of  many  of  the  rooms 
were  in  bad  repair,  parts  having  broken  out  and  fallen, 
and  the  side  walls  were  marred  with  the  dampness  that 
came  through.  One  could  see,  however,  how  thousands 
had  been  spent  and  wasted.  It  had  not  been  occupied  for 
five  years  and  seemed  to  be  allowed  to  go  to  decay. 


40  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

After  the  drive,  I  went  to  the  Agency  and  did  a  lot  of 
routine  work.  Count  Tugini,  the  Italian  Minister,  called 
to  request  my  attendance  at  the  funeral  of  Commander 
Giuseppe  de  Martino,  late  Agent  and  Consul-General  to 
Egypt. 

The  funeral  services  were  held  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  about  a  mile  from  the  residence  of  the  deceased. 
I  went  to  his  house  with  my  secretary,  in  the  brougham, 
and  reached  there  at  about  3  P.M.  We  had  been  requested 
to  dress  in  frock  coat  and  top  hat. 

On  arrival  at  the  house  I  found  a  guard  of  mounted 
police  and  a  great  crowd  of  people  standing  in  front  of 
the  entrance.  I  was  escorted  by  a  janissary  through  the 
court  of  entrance  and  into  the  house,  up  a  high  flight  of 
outside  steps,  that  were  flanked  by  life-size  figures,  hold- 
ing lamps,  at  each  landing;  and  back  through  a  hall  into 
the  dining-room,  where  the  Diplomatic  Corps  were  as- 
sembled. Lord  Cromer  came  forward  to  greet  me  and 
before  taking  my  place  in  the  circle,  I  shook  hands  with 
the  French  and  Russian  Ministers,  as  well  as  with  Count 
Metternich. 

After  a  wait  of  about  ten  minutes,  the  Diplomatic 
Corps  were  requested  to  move,  and  at  the  front  entrance 
were  furnished  with  shoulder  scarfs  that  were  passed  over 
the  head  and  hung  down  on  the  side  under  the  left  arm. 
They  were  of  black  crape  and  heavily  or  largely  decorated 
with  a  knot.  Boutros  Pasha  and  the  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs  whom  he  succeeded  were  also  decorated  with  scarfs. 
At  the  foot  of  the  steps  was  a  funeral  car  on  which  was  the 
coffin.  This  was  a  highly  decorated  affair,  black,  with 
rich  and  gilded  wood  carvings  of  garlands  of  flowers  that 
ran  its  whole  length,  at  the  top  and  bottom.  The  coffin, 


FUNERAL  OF  AN  ITALIAN  DIPLOMAT     41 

and  in  fact  the  whole  top  of  the  car,  was  covered  with 
wreaths  of  fresh  flowers.  On  one  of  the  wide  ribbons  which 
was  about  a  wreath,  I  read  the  word  "Rissotti,"  which 
I  believe  to  be  the  name  of  some  Italian  society.  The  car 
was  drawn  by  six  horses  that  were  covered  and  hooded  in 
black.  The  driver  was  an  African  and,  for  all  the  world, 
looked  like  a  Baltimore  or  Richmond  family  coachman. 

Heading  the  procession,  which  was  starting  for  the 
church,  was  a  priestly  attendant  carrying  high  in  the  air 
a  large  silver  crucifix.  He  was  followed  by  choir  boys  and 
after  them  what  appeared  to  be  some  fifty  school  children, 
boys  and  girls,who  followed  two  or  more  Franciscan  friars. 
After  these  came  four  priests  in  gorgeous  vestments.  We 
were  requested  to  take  our  places  in  front  of  the  car  and 
carry  two  banners.  The  first  was  carried  by  six  persons, 
with  Boutros  and  another  native  of  high  rank  in  the  lead, 
by  Lord  Cromer  and  the  Belgian  Minister  at  the  other  end, 
and  the  Russian  and  Italian  Ministers  in  the  center.  The 
banner  was  of  black  velvet,  bound  around  the  edges 
heavily  with  yellow  cord;  at  each  end  were  tassels  by 
which  to  hold  it;  also  tassels  in  the  center  of  the  sides. 
It  was  carried  horizontally,  the  Egyptians  leading  and 
Lord  Cromer  and  companion  last.  In  the  center  of  the 
banner  was  a  large  white  cross,  and  at  each  corner  a  white 
skull  and  cross-bones.  The  banner  that  followed,  carried 
by  the  French  Minister  and  his  first  secretary,  by  Count 
Metternich  and  myself,  was  similar  to  the  first,  though 
smaller  and  intended  to  be  carried  by  only  four  persons. 

Between  the  funeral  car  and  the  banner  at  which  I  was, 
which  immediately  preceded  the  six  horses  drawing  the  car, 
there  walked  a  representative  of  the  family,  bearing  a 
velvet  cushion  of  scarlet  hue,  on  which  were  displayed  all 


42  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  orders  and  decorations  of  the  deceased.  Then  came 
the  funeral  car,  and  then  the  family,  followed  by  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Government  and  departments,  friends, 
etc.  The  priests  chanted  as  they  walked,  and  the  whole 
cortege,  on  foot,  now  slowly,  through  street  after  street, 
lined  on  each  side  by  curious  spectators,  mostly  natives, 
walked  its  way  to  the  chapel,  about  twenty  minutes  from 
the  house.  After  taking  our  places  in  pen-like  stalls,  be- 
tween the  coffin  and  the  high  altar,  the  funeral  services 
began.  These  were  chanted  and  lasted  fully  half  an  hour. 
Some  of  the  Ministers  —  those  who  had  been  intimate 
with  the  deceased  while  in  office  here  —  went  to  the 
cemetery,  but  the  most  of  us  returned  to  our  affairs  at 
home.  I  sat  in  our  salon  all  the  evening  and  read  "Bel 
Ami,"  when  not  talking  or  listening  to  Louise  and  my 
secretary. 

November  18.  Louise  better  again  to-day,  although  she 
awoke  with  one  of  her  headaches.  She  sat  about  until 
lunch  time  when  she  went  down  to  the  luncheon  room  and 
ate  a  fair  meal.  At  2.30  she  took  a  drive  in  the  brougham 
for  an  hour.  I  did  nothing  of  any  note  at  the  office  in  the 
morning;  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Watts  and  I  called  on  the 
officers  of  the  Government,  such  as  the  Finance  Minister, 
the  Minister  of  War,  the  Minister  of  Education,  the  Min- 
ister of  Justice,  etc.;  in  all  we  made  about  twelve  or  four- 
teen visits.  I  received  a  large  mail  from  America,  among 
my  letters  a  long  and  interesting  one  from  Commander 
John  W.  Frazier  which  gave  me  the  then  (October  29th) 
political  status  quo  in  Philadelphia.  Learning  that  Post  18, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  to  which  I  belong,  would 
hold  its  annual  inspection  to-night,  I  sent  Frazier  the 


JUDGE^TUCK  43 

following  cablegram:  "Affectionate  greetings  and  good- 
will from  Pharaoh's  land."  As  the  time  here  is  about  seven 
hours  in  advance  of  the  United  States  Seaboard,  and  as 
the  dispatch  was  sent  about  5.30  P.M.  here,  it  should  have 
reached  Philadelphia  by  noon  to-day  even  though  two 
hours  were  taken  in  the  transmission. 

Judge  Tuck  came  up  from  Mansourah  to  talk  with  me 
about  his  assignment  to  Cairo  and  passed  the  evening 
with  us  in  our  sitting-room,  remaining  until  10.30.  I  sat 
up  until  after  eleven,  reading  Friday's  (12th  inst.)  Paris 
"New  York  Herald." 

November  19.  To  the  office  early.  Nothing  of  any  mo- 
ment until  Judge  Tuck  came  in  about  eleven  o'clock.  We 
talked  again  over  his  assignment  to  Cairo  and  the  need  for 
haste  to  have  the  decree  made  out  and  signed  to  secure 
him  seniority  over  the  new  United  States  appointment, 
Judge  Batcheller,  who  has  just  been  named  by  the  Presi- 
dent and  whose  papers  are  on  the  way.  Louise  came  in 
about  11.30  and,  with  the  paper-hanger,  who  was  in  the 
house  measuring  the  rooms  to  report  how  many  rolls  of 
wall-paper  would  be  required  for  each,  we  selected  from 
the  Paris  samples  for  five  of  the  rooms.  I  received  a  bid 
from  the  engineer  Maroni,  of  £120  for  the  hot-water 
heater  and  its  installation,  which  I  fear  I  must  accept. 
Detained  by  official  correspondence  until  nearly  one 
o'clock,  and  consequently,  to  Louise's  great  distress  from 
pangs  of  hunger,  I  was  late  to  luncheon. 

In  the  afternoon  was  the  annual  Chrysanthemum  Show 
and  we  should  both,  in  duty  bound,  have  gone;  but  Louise 
did  not  feel  like  it  and  wished  a  drive  instead.  She,  there- 
fore, went  to  make  some  "thanks"  calls  on  those  who  had 


44  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

inquired  about  her  when  she  was  abed  with  the  dengue, 
and  as  I  did  not  care  to  go  without  her,  I  went  to  the 
Agency  and  attended  to  correspondence.  Afterwards,  with 
my  secretary,  called  at  the  Italian  Minister's  for  informa- 
tion respecting  the  usage  that  prevailed  as  to  attending  the 
fortnightly  receptions  of  the  Khedive.  I  was  told  that  hav- 
ing been  to  one  reception  during  the  season,  it  was  not 
obligatory  to  go  to  another,  although  there  could  be  no 
objection. 

In  the  evening  Judge  Tuck  came  to  our  sitting-room 
and  told  us  a  good  bit  of  local  and  personal  history.  He 
said  the  present  Minister  of  War,  Mohammed  Abani  Pasha, 
eight  or  ten  years  ago  was  an  huissier  of  the  Court,  I  think, 
at  Alexandria,  with  pay  one  dollar  per  day.  His  rise  had 
been  phenomenal,  but  mostly  through  favoritism.  When 
I  was  here,  1894-95,  he  was  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  at 
Abdin  Palace.  The  gentleman  next  to  whom  I  sat  at  Lord 
Cromer's  dinner  after  the  ladies  had  risen,  was  a  Mr.  Daw- 
kins,  l  a  son  of  a  railroad  station-master  in  England.  He  is 
now,  after  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  the  virtual  head  of  Egyptian 
finances.  His  wife  is  a  connection  of  James  B.  Eustis, 
late  Ambassador  to  France. 

Saturday,  November  20.  In  the  morning  at  the  Agency 
early,  first  going  with  Maroni,  the  Italian  engineer,  to  see, 
at  Hamilton  and  Company's,  the  hot-water  heater  which 
he  proposed  for  the  house.  It  is  an  American  make,  H.  B. 
Smith  and  Company's,  of  New  York.  At  the  Agency  he 
agreed  to  put  it  in  the  court,  with  all  necessary  appli- 
ances, including  water-tank,  etc.,  with  fifteen  radiators, 

1  Mr.  Dawkins  afterwards,  in  1899,  financial  adviser,  and  after  that  a  part- 
ner, of  Morgan's,  placed  in  charge  of  the  London  house,  with  a  salary,  it  is  said, 
of  £5000  ($25,000)  per  annum.  (EDITOR.) 


Judge  Somerville  Pinkney  Tuck 


PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS  FUAD  45 

hot  water  in  kitchen,  butler's  pantry,  and  bathrooms,  with 
some  non-conducting  material  on  the  hot-water  pipes  in 
the  court  and  where  they  pass  under  the  office  floor,  for 
£120  (English),  and  to  put  in  two  extra  radiators  for  £20 
additional.  He  is  to  begin  on  the  22d  and  have  all  finished 
within  fifteen  days  or  pay  a  forfeit  of  £2  per  day  for  any 
oVertime. 

A  Mr.  Bird  of  New  York,  stopping  at  the  Continental, 
made  a  visit  to  the  Agency  —  a  man  of  about  sixty-five, 
with  a  shrewd  but  kind  expression  from  a  pair  of  gray 
eyes.  A  full,  round  face  and  hair  turning  white,  wore  a 
grizzled  mustache,  and  was  a  man  of  good  height,  weighing 
close  to  two  hundred  pounds.  We  talked  New  York  City 
elections  and  general  politics,  and  I  found  that  our  views 
were  very  nearly  alike,  especially  on  national  issues. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  were  driven  out  to  the 
palace  of  Prince  Fuad,  a  son  of  Ismail,  and  young  uncle 
of  the  Khedive;  she  to  visit  his  wife,  whom  she  has  known 
since  1895,  and  with  whom  she  had  been  in  frequent  cor- 
respondence (the  Princess  to  whom  she  sent  the  postage 
stamps),1  and  I  to  return  a  visit  that  the  Prince  made  to 
me  on  the  16th  inst.  I  really  should  have  returned  this 
visit  on  the  17th,  as,  in  the  first  place,  he  was  a  royal 

1  Princess  Fuad  presented  Mrs.  Harrison  with  two  "zarfs"  or  jeweled  hold- 
ers of  small  coffee-cups.  These  were  of  finest  enamel,  adorned  with  old  cut  dia- 
monds. They  had  belonged  to  Ismail,  the  first  Khedive  of  Egypt.  Mr.  Harri- 
son has  presented  them  to  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  and  School  of  Industrial 
Art  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Harrison.  Eventually,  the  Princess,  who  was  said  to 
be  the  wealthiest  woman  in  Cairo,  separated  from  Prince  Fuad.  She  became 
engaged  to  another  man,  who,  one  day  having  heard  of  disparaging  remarks 
made  by  Prince  Fuad  against  his  former  wife,  went  to  the  Khedivial  Club  for 
the  purpose  of  shooting  him.  The  story  goes  that  the  Prince,  fearing  his  venge- 
ance, hid  under  the  table,  but  nevertheless  was  wounded;  and  that  members 
of  the  club  who  happened  to  be  present,  casting  all  dignity  to  the  wind,  hid 
themselves  in  any  and  every  place  at  hand.  The  scene  was  described  as  in- 
tensely amusing,  after  the  tragic  element  had  been  forgotten.  (EDITOR.) 


46  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

personage,  and  next,  it  was  most  unusual  for  a  resident  to 
call  first,  the  rule  being,  "last  come,  first  visit." 

We  drove  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  city  from  Ghezireh, 
across  the  canal  and  through  quite  an  interesting  part  of 
the  town,  though  the  buildings  were  the  same  in  character, 
frail  and  stained-looking,  with  here  and  there  new  and 
handsome  houses  —  palaces  I  suppose  they  must  be  called 
—  and  quite  a  number  on  the  principal  thoroughfare.  An 
electric  tramway  runs  a  double  track  almost  the  whole 
road  that  we  took,  and  substantial  stone  dwellings  were 
being  erected  on  both  sides  of  the  avenue,  mostly  for  Sy- 
rians and  Jews,  so  the  janissary  said.  I  remembered  the 
road,  having  passed  over  it  several  times  in  1895  —  es- 
pecially being  on  it  a  couple  of  hours  one  early  morning 
when  the  camel  corps  had  a  drill  on  the  desert  side  of  it  — 
which  I  found  very  entertaining. 

After  going  about  four  miles  from  town,  we  turned  to 
the  left  and  took  what  seemed  a  new  road.  Pursuing  this 
about  half  a  mile  brought  us  to  the  gateway  of  the  Prince's 
private  avenue,  which  led  to  the  wall  that  enclosed  the 
palace's  private  grounds.  We  passed  through  another  gate- 
way on  either  side  of  which  hung  solid  and  heavy  doors, 
and  drove  into  the  spacious  court.  On  the  left  was  the 
harem,  or  women's  quarters,  and  it  had  its  court,  separated 
from  the  main  one  by  a  high  iron  rail  fence,  of  spear  con- 
struction, with  the  heads  thereof  richly  gilded. 

At  the  gateway  leading  into  this  court  sat  two  eunuchs, 
as  black  as  the  ace  of  spades,  and  as  revolting  as  —  sup- 
ply the  comparison  yourself.  I  descended  and,  having 
learned  that  the  Prince  was  receiving,  sent  to  him  my  card 
and  followed  the  servant,  presently  finding  myself  in  the 
reception-room  of  the  palace.  The  servant  returned,  or 


CHAT  WITH  PRINCE  FUAD      47 

rather  another  came,  who  might  have  been  a  secretary  or 
chamberlain.  I  was  shown  by  him  into  the  salon,  or  grand 
reception-apartment,  and  as  I  crossed  the  threshold,  a 
good-looking,  rather  stout,  pleasant-faced  man,  of  about 
thirty-five  to  forty  years  of  age,  came  forward  to  greet 
me. 

We  sat  together  on  a  lounge  in  a  corner  of  the  room, 
with  a  table  in  front  of  us,  and  immediately  the  Prince 
offered  me  a  cigarette  from  his  jeweled  case.  There  was  but 
one  in  it,  and  that  I  took !  He  lighted  a  match  for  me  and  he 
held  it  while  I  put  fire  to  my  tobacco.  He  did  not  smoke, 
but  immediately  began  the  conversation  by  asking  me  if 
I  liked  Egypt.  He  spoke  but  little  English,  although  he  said 
he  understood  it  when  he  read  or  heard  it;  consequently 
the  talk  was  all  in  French.  I  was  quite  pleased  with  my- 
self, entre  nous,  with  the  ease  with  which  I  spoke.  We 
talked  horse,  and  donkey,  of  America  and  its  people,  of 
travel  in  Europe  and  the  life  in  Cairo  —  nothing  serious, 
just  a  pleasant,  friendly  chat.  I  liked  him  —  he  impressed 
me,  not  as  a  strong-minded  or  forceful  man,  but  as  an  easy- 
going fellow  who  liked  his  comforts  and  pleasures.  I  did 
not  wait  for  him  to  give  me  the  sign  to  rise,  as  my  official 
position  really  outranks  that  of  one  of  royal  blood  not  a 
sovereign,  but  concluded  the  interview  with  expressions  of 
pleasure  at  the  meeting  and  hope  of  seeing  him  soon  again. 

After  returning  to  the  victoria  I  found  Louise  was  still 
with  the  Princess,  and  while  I  waited  a  servant  brought 
me  a  cup  of  coffee,  which  evidently  the  Prince  had  ex- 
pected I  would  take  before  leaving  him.  I  accepted  it, 
however,  and  drank  it  while  the  servant  waited,  tray  in 
hand.  We  drove  back  to  town,  Louise  getting  out  at  Shep- 
heard's  and  I  going  on,  to  make  some  official  calls  — 


48  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

among  the  number  on  the  Governor  of  Cairo  and  the 
Turkish  representative,  Mukhtar  Pasha  and  his  son. 

On  returning  to  the  hotel,  I  found  Judge  Tuck,  a  Mr. 
Turnure  with  some  friends,  Surgeon-General  Muhr  and 
wife,  Watts  and  wife,  and  Father  Brindle,  the  priest  of  the 
Catholic  Church  here.  Louise  shortly  afterwards  joined  us. 
After  dinner  Judge  Tuck  came  to  our  salon  to  smoke  a 
cigar.  He  remained  until  after  ten  and  then,  having  said 
good-night,  left,  while  I  again  attacked  "Bel  Ami." 

November  21  —  Sunday.  I  remained  within  our  apart- 
ment until  after  eleven  when  I  went  downstairs  and  sat 
on  the  Terrace,  to  enjoy  a  mild  Havana.  Longworth,  of 
the  "Sphinx,"  joined  me  and  talked  horse.  After  he  had 
gone  Louise  came  down  and  we  sat  together  enjoying  the 
springlike  temperature  and  bright  sunshine.  Then  Judge 
Tuck  put  in  an  appearance.  We  all  lunched  together. 
Tuck  left  for  Mansourah  in  the  afternoon.  Louise  and  I 
drove  up  the  avenue  towards  the  Pyramids,  --an  hour 
and  a  half  drive.  Prince  Mehemet  Ali  and  some  friends 
called  at  the  Agency  to  make  a  visit,  about  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  I  was  sorry  to  have  missed  them  and  will 
call  on  the  Prince  to-morrow  as  strict  etiquette  requires. 

In  the  evening  read  the  13th,  14th,  15th  numbers  of  the 
Paris  "New  York  Herald."  There  was  a  letter  from  Cairo 
in  the  edition  of  the  14th,  and  mention,  quite  complimen- 
tary, of  Louise  and  me.  Ordered  from  home  a  lot  of  hams, 
buckwheat  meal,  dried  fruit,  and  roasted  coffee.  Yester- 
day, or  Friday,  ordered  terrapin,  cranberries,  and  some 
other  things  that  cannot  be  obtained  here. 

November  22  —  Monday.  At   nine   o'clock  the  uphol- 


THE  OPERA  49 

sterers  from  Paschal  came  to  our  salon  with  samples  of 
stuffs  for  hangings  and  remained  until  after  ten,  and  again 
made  us  a  visit,  this  time  at  the  Agency,  when  we  gave 
them  an  order  for  lace  curtains  at  the  windows  and  made 
selections  of  cretonne  for  the  chambers.  Maroni,  the  heater 
man,  was  taking  measurements.  I  called  on  Prince  Me- 
hemet  about  11  A.M.,  but  he  had  gone  to  Koobeh. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  opera  to  hear  "Othello," 
occupying  the  loge  that  I  had  been  so  fortunate  to  secure 
for  the  season,  No.  10.  The  house  was  crowded  and  the 
opera  well  sung  and  very  well  done;  the  scenery  especially 
was  fine.  The  house  was  most  enthusiastic,  calling  the 
"artists"  three  or  four  times  to  the  footlights  after  each 
act,  especially  after  the  third.  Louise  and  I  left  my  sec- 
retary in  the  box  about  eleven  o'clock,  after  the  ringing- 
down  of  the  third  act.  When  we  reached  our  apartment  I 
found  Hannah  had  thoughtfully  ordered  a  bottle  of  Mun- 
ich beer  and  something  to  eat.  After  enjoying  these  and 
smoking  one  of  the  cigars  that  I  had  just  received  from 
Havana  direct,  I  went  to  bed  and  had  more  than  a  good 
night,  rising  only  after  being  called,  at  eight  o'clock. 

November  23.  Got  away  from  Shepheard's  before  9.30 
and  went  shopping  with  my  secretary,  first  stopping  in  the 
gas  company's  office  to  hurry  in  the  pipes.  We  reached 
the  Agency  at  about  eleven  o'clock.  I  found  Maroni  at 
work  placing  the  radiators  for  the  new  heater;  painters  in 
the  lower  hall,  and  Jack  Fero,  my  American  coachman 
from  Pomfret,  unpacking  filters  and  similar  things  in  the 
storeroom.  The  wine  from  Paris,  twenty-three  cases,  ar- 
rived to-day,  and  to-morrow  the  bulk  of  the  furniture  from 
Florence  will  be  due  at  Alexandria.  Already  the  uphol- 


50  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

sterers  have  begun  to  make  the  cretonne  hangings  and  lace 
for  all  the  windows.  Mr.  Turnure  called  in  the  morning. 
He  says  he  has  been  living  four  years  in  Egypt.  The  name 
is  familiar  to  me  and  it  seems  one  that  I  had  often  heard 
my  mother  mention.  In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  my 
secretary  made  calls. 

I  remained  at  the  Agency,  and  about  four  o'clock,  Ghazi 
Mukhtar  Pasha,  the  Turkish  High  Commissioner,  made  me 
a  visit  of  about  an  hour.  He  is  the  one  in  charge  of  the  mis- 
sion from  the  Sublime  Porte  to  Egypt  to  exchange  the 
treaty  of  evacuation  with  the  English  that  was  made  by 
them  in,  I  believe,  1885.  So  far  as  I  can  remember,  an  agree- 
ment was  made  by  England  to  withdraw  her  troops  within 
three  years,  and  that  agreement  was  signed  by  the  Queen. 
But  the  Sultan,  for  some  reason,  did  not  promptly  sign. 
About  six  months  afterwards,  when  he  did  sign,  England 
withdrew  her  consent  on  the  ground  of  delay  in  ratifica- 
tion. The  Pasha  talked  very  freely  of  the  matter;  said  he 
had  been,  as  it  were,  an  exile  for  twelve  and  a  half  years; 
that  so  long  as  England  remained,  Turkey  would  keep  him, 
or  some  one  in  his  stead,  as  evidence  of  its  will  and  right 
to  exact  a  treaty  of  evacuation.  We  had,  really,  a  very 
friendly  and  charming  interview.  He  is  a  man  of  about 
sixty-five  to  sixty-eight,  well  preserved,  swarthy  like  the 
darker  Turks,  was  most  carefully  dressed,  wore  both  beard 
and  mustache.  His  turn-out  of  horses  and  carriage,  I  am 
told,  was  very  fine  and  he  lives  in  a  very  handsome  palace.1 

1  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha  and  Sir  Henry  Drummond  Wolff,  Envoy  Extraor- 
dinary and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  the  Sultan,  signed  an  agreement  on 
October  24,  1885,  the  most  important  clause  of  which  was  that,  as  soon  as  the 
two  High  Commissioners  should  be  assured  "of  the  security  of  the  frontiers 
and  the  good  working  and  stability  of  the  Egyptian  Government,"  they  would 
present  reports  to  their  respective  Governments,  who  would  then  "  consult 
as  to  the  conclusion  of  a  convention  regulating  the  withdrawal  of  the  British 
troops  from  Egypt  in  a  convenient  period.". 


Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha 
Turkish  High  Commissioner 


A  DISPUTE  OVER  AN  OPERA-BOX        51 

My  secretary  called  on  Prince  Mehemet  All,  respecting 
his  loge  at  the  opera.  It  appears  there  has  been  some 
trouble  in  connection  with  it.  His  loge  is  a  proscenium 
one,  vis-a-vis  to  that  of  his  brother,  the  Khedive,  and  for 
a  while  he  had  it  in  joint  use  with  his  uncle,  Prince  Fuad. 
About  two  years  ago  Prince  Fuad  gave  up  his  share,  and 

A  second  convention  was  signed  on  May  22,  1887,  according  to  which  the 
British  troops  were  to  be  withdrawn  at  the  end  of  three  years,  unless  at  that 
time  external  or  internal  danger  should  necessitate  postponement  of  the  evacua- 
tion, in  which  case  they  were  to  be  withdrawn  as  soon  as  the  danger  had  passed. 
The  Ottoman  troops  were  also  to  be  withdrawn  when  the  causes  requiring 
Turkey's  intervention  had  ceased.  A  further  article  provided  that  Great  Bri- 
tain and  Turkey  should  invite,  first,  the  Great  Powers  and  then  all  the  others, 
"who  had  made  or  accepted  arrangements  wjth  the  Khediviate  of  Egypt,"  to 
give  their  adhesion  to  the  convention. 

Of  course  the  crux  of  the  matter  was  the  recognition  by  the  Porte  of  Great  Bri- 
tain's right  to  reoccupy  Egypt  or  remain  in  case  of  danger.  But  the  European 
Powers,  notably  France,  interfered.  The  latter,  with  her  ally  Russia,  so  fright- 
ened the  Sultan  that,  although  Sir  Henry  Drummond  Wolff,  armed  with  the 
Queen's  signed  instrument,  remained  in  Constantinople  ready  to  exchange  it 
for  the  Sultan's  signature,  nothing  was  done.  After  a  while  Sir  Henry  Drum- 
mond WoLff  was  recalled. 

At  once  the  Sultan  tried  to  reopen  negotiations.  But  Lord  Salisbury,  "al- 
though he  did  not  desire  to  exclude  the  possibilities  of  future  negotiations," 
declared  that  "the  Sultan  was  so  much  under  the  influence  of  other  advisers 
as  to  repudiate  an  agreement  which  he  had  himself  so  recently  sanctioned, 
that  any  fresh  agreement  would  obviously  be  liable  to  meet  with  the  same 
fate  as  the  late  convention." 

Thus  the  negotiations  ended  hi  smoke.  They  had  an  unsettling  effect,  but 
this  was  only  transitory;  and  the  only  permanent  element  of  disturbance 
which  the  WoLff  negotiations  have  left  behind  them  in  the  Nile  Valley  was  the 
presence  of  the  Ottoman  High  Commissioner,  says  Lord  Alfred  Milner.  "  Mukh- 
tar  Pasha  has  no  intelligible  attributes.  He  is  not  an  ambassador,  for  a  sov- 
ereign cannot  send  an  ambassador  to  a  portion  of  his  own  dominions.  The 
Khedive  is  his  representative.  Nor  has  Mukhtar  Pasha  any  administrative 
office.  Technically,  he  is  an  anomaly.  In  practice,  he  is  a  nucleus  of  the 
smouldering  agitation  of  Moslem  fanaticism  and  of  the  intrigues  of  the  old 
Turkish  party.  His  presence  is  a  perpetual  nuisance  which  may  become  a 
danger."  Thus  did  Lord  Alfred  Milner  look  upon  the  situation  in  1892.  To 
be  sure,  personally,  Lord  Alfred  Milner  entirely  agreed  that  Mukhtar  Pasha 
was  a  straightforward  gentleman,  as  well  as  a  soldier  of  high  distinction,  and 
that  he  had  often  expressed  a  desire  to  be  recalled.  Whether  he  was  there  to 
annoy  England  or  to  weaken  Egypt,  or  because  the  Sultan  did  not  want  him 
at  home,  is  one  of  those  mysteries  of  Turkish  diplomacy  that  is  difficult  to 
fathom.  (EDITOR.) 


52  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

since  then,  until  this  season,  Mehemet  Ali  had  it  alone. 
The  committee  wrote,  asking  him  if  he  wished  to  retain  the 
whole  loge,  I  am  told,  and  though  he  had  the  advice  two 
days  he  failed  to  reply  by  the  time  the  committee  fixed. 
Consequently,  the  committee  took  for  granted  (?)  that  it 
might  let  Prince  Fuad  have  his  half  again  and  did  so,  noti- 
fying Mehemet  Ali.  He  was  furious  and  declined  to  have 
any  part  in  it.  Explanations  have  been  made,  but  he  re- 
fuses to  accept  any  of  them. 

Well,  yesterday  the  Superintendent  of  the  Opera  House 
called  and  asked  if  I  would  like  to  exchange  Loge  No.  10 
for  the  Prince's,  two  nights  in  the  week,  Mondays  and 
Thursdays.  Having  heard  that  there  had  been  some  diffi- 
culty with  the  Prince,  I  thought  it  best  to  have  my  secre- 
tary interview  him,  and  if  he  found  that  the  Prince  wanted 
Loge  No.  10,  of  course,  to  give  way  to  him.  The  Prince 
made  a  full  explanation  of  the  whole  matter  —  said  unless 
he  got  his  box  to  himself,  he  would  take  none;  was  enraged 
at  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  and  added  that  if  Louise  preferred 
the  proscenium  to  Loge  No.  10,  it  would  not  interfere  with 
him  at  all;  but  he  advised  retaining  the  loge  we  had,  as 
more  comfortable  for  lights  and  seeing  back  on  the  stage. 
I,  therefore,  declined  Sir  Elwin's  offer,  especially  as  I 
heard  that  perhaps  next  year  the  whole  loge  going  to 
Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  I  might  lose  my  chance  to  be  a 
box-holder.  My  secretary  went  to  the  opera,  which  was 
"Lucia";  was  invited  into  Lord  Granville's  loge  and  had 
much  politeness  generally  offered  to  him. 

November  24.  My  first  thought  now  in  the  morning, 
after  having  finished  my  breakfast,  is  to  hasten  the  work- 
men who  are  doing  the  plumbing,  putting  in  gas  and 


HOME  DECORATIONS  53 

steam;  and  so,  with  my  secretary,  I  go  from  shop  to  shop 
to  show  my  interest  and  to  see  that  nothing  lags.  This 
morning,  after  the  plumber  and  the  gas  company,  we  went 
about  draperies  and  carpets,  and,  I  rejoice  to  say,  found 
what  we  think  is  the  best  that  can  be  had  in  Cairo  and 
which  will  answer  our  purpose  very  well. 

Louise  proposes  to  have  the  walls  of  the  vestibule  of 
what  we  at  home  call  the  first  floor,  colored  a  medium 
and  dull  yellowish  tone,  with  a  silk-like  paper  that  we 
have  ordered  from  Paris,  and  that  the  hangings  shall  be 
of  a  light,  but  muddy  green,  of  silk.  There  are  five  open- 
ings in  this  vestibule,  as  well  as  in  the  one  immediately 
above  it,  and  the  amount  of  stuff  it  takes  for  the  curtains 
and  portieres  is  alarming!  This  vestibule  leads  to  the 
drawing-room;  on  the  left  of  that  is  the  dining-room,  and 
on  the  right  a  room  that  we  shall  turn  into  a  smoking- 
room,  really  a  private  room  in  which  to  receive  distin- 
guished visitors. 

The  drawing-room  already  has  a  good  paper  on  the 
walls,  a  reddish  maroon  that  will  do  well  enough,  and  here 
the  hangings  will  be  of  yellow  satin  and  silk  mixed.  The 
dining-room  is  to  have  a  muddy  blue,  with  figures  of  great 
flowers  of  dull  shades,  on  the  walls,  and  the  hangings  are 
to  be  dull  rose-colored  on  one  side  and  the  blue  to  match 
the  wall  on  the  other.  The  stairway  will  be  furnished  with 
a  crimson  velvet  carpet  over  the  center  of  the  stone  steps, 
held  in  place  by  round  brass  rods,  and  should  give  a  warm 
and  rich  effect  on  entering.  The  stair  platforms  will  be 
entirely  covered  with  the  same  carpet. 

About  10.30  Prince  Mehemet  Ali  was  announced  and 
with  him  an  equerry  whose  name  I  did  not  catch  on  the 
introduction.  Our  meeting  was  more  than  cordial,  it  was 


54  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

friendly  and  intimate.  The  Prince  said  that  we  had  missed 
each  other  so  often  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  call 
at  an  hour  when  the  business  of  my  office  would  surely 
require  me  to  be  at  the  Agency;  that  he  wished  to  see  me 
and  had  been  disappointed  each  time  he  had  missed  me; 
that  to-day  he  was  especially  desirous  of  meeting  me,  in 
order  that  he  might  express  his  sense  of  appreciation  for 
my  courtesy  in  sending  my  secretary  yesterday  with  the 
offer  of  my  Loge  No.  10,  in  case,  as  I  have  already  ex- 
plained, he  wished  it  all  to  himself  in  place  of  the  two 
nights  that  had  been  reserved  for  him  in  his  old  loge. 
He  talked  about  the  way  he  had  been  treated,  which  he 
thought  was  unkind  and  not  his  due  as  a  gentleman,  to 
say  nothing  of  his  relationship  to  the  Khedive;  and  he 
was  especially,  I  was  about  to  say,  bitter,  in  speaking  of 
the  petty  gossip  of  which  some  of  the  English  were  guilty 
—  one  piece  of  which  was  that  he  had  "cut"  Lady  Palmer 
because  of  the  behaviour  of  her  husband,  Sir  Elwin,  who 
is  all-powerful  in  opera-house  matters. 

Then  we  talked  of  "Bay  Harrison"  the  stallion  that  I 
gave  to  the  Khedive  and  who  has  loaned  him  to  his  brother; 
of  horseshoeing,  and  so  forth.  In  fact,  he  made  a  visit  of 
over  half  an  hour,  and  pressed  me  to  soon  return  his  call. 
Immediately  after  he  had  gone,  Brewster  Bey  came  to 
see  me,  to  give  me  a  list  of  those  Turks  of  high  position, 
princes  and  pashas,  on  whom  I  should  call,  and  on  whose 
wives  (and  they  each  have  but  one)  Louise  should  leave 
cards.  He  continues  very  bitter  about  the  Occupation. 

I  told  him,  as  I  had  already  told  Prince  Mehemet  Ali, 
that  personally  I  might  have  my  opinions  and  sympa- 
thies, but  as  a  representative  of  the  United  States  my  in- 
structions were  to  take  no  part  in  the  internal  affairs  of 


THE  OPERA  AGAIN  55 

Egypt,  simply  to  be  friendly  with  all  and  see  that  the 
citizens  of  the  United  States  were  well  cared-for  and  their 
interests  protected.  In  the  evening  Watts  and  his  wife 
came  to  see  us  and  remained  in  our  salon  until  after  ten 
o'clock.  Before  leaving  the  hall  below  a  Mr.  Davis,  of 
New  York,  on  his  way  around  the  world,  was  presented 
to  us — also  an  Italian  friend  of  my  secretary,  named  Tran- 
chant.  The  American  was  a  young  man  about  twenty- 
three  to  twenty-five. 

V 

November  25  —  Thursday.  Shopping  for  the  house  again 
this  morning;  at  the  Agency  about  eleven.  Men  working 
putting  in  gas-pipes  and  steam  heater.  Upholsterer  there 
and  mattress-maker,  from  whom  I  bought  fourteen  mat- 
tresses, bolsters,  pillows,  stuffed  with  cotton,  which  is  the 
only  filling  used  here,  for  six  dollars  a  set!  No  visitors 
of  importance. 

In  the  afternoon  again  at  the  Agency,  where  I  wrote  a 
long  letter  of  instruction  to  the  Cleveland  Foundry  Com- 
pany, respecting  the  manner  by  which  they,  and  other 
Americans,  should  begin  in  their  efforts  to  open  this  mar- 
ket for  their  products.  Remained  until  nearly  5.30  P.M. 

In  the  evening  went  to  the  opera  and  heard  "Lucia"  de- 
lightfully rendered.  The  stage  was  beautifully  set.  While 
some  of  the  music  was  too  elaborately  difficult  for  the 
prima-donna,  she  did  very  well,  singing  with  truth  and 
feeling.  The  tenor  was  a  little  off  at  times,  Louise  said. 
I  did  not  notice  it;  but  certainly  in  the  last  scene  of  the 
closing  act  he  was  superb.  Altogether  it  was  a  charming 
memory.  I  did  not,  but  my  secretary  did,  wait  for  the 
ballet.  Home  at  11.15  and  enjoyed  a  generous  supper  of 
cold  roast  beef,  with  a  bottle  of  Munich  beer. 


56  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

November  26  —  Friday.  At  the  upholsterer's  at  9.15 
and  at  10  I  was  at  the  Agency  to  see  a  pair  of  Arab  horses 
which  I  had  thought  to  buy.  I  like  one  of  them  and  am  to 
have  a  trial  of  them  both,  to  my  light  wagon  to-morrow 
morning.  My  secretary  went  to  an  auction  sale  of  second- 
hand furniture  and  bought  a  good,  large-sized  mirror, 
with  elaborate  gilt  frame,  for  thirteen  dollars  (sixty-five 
francs). 

Elias  Bey  called  at  the  Agency,  and  I  received  him  amid 
the  dirt  and  noise  of  the  workmen,  who  continually  inter- 
rupted to  have  some  special  instruction.  After  he  had 
gone  the  Count  della  Sala  came  and  remained  half  an  hour. 
An  agreeable  man,  and  an  old  "beau." 

I  invited  Watts  to  lunch  with  me  at  the  Turf  Club, 
where  we  made  a  good  meal  and  remained  until  2.30.  In 
the  afternoon  at  3.45  we  started  for  Lady  Grenf ell's  "at 
home"  at  the  Casino  of  Ghezireh  Palace.  There  we  found, 
before  we  left  at  5.20  about  three  hundred  to  four  hundred 
people  assembled,  mostly  of  the  English  contingent,  al- 
though all  of  the  foreign  nations  were  represented  by  their 
best  people;  very  few  of  the  natives;  in  fact,  I  saw  but  one 
tarbouche.  I  was  glad  to  meet  General  Sir  Francis  Gren- 
fell,  having  gone  up  the  river  with  him  in  1890  and  passed 
two  very  pleasant  weeks  with  him.  He  then  was  com- 
mander-in-chief  of  all  of  the  English  forces  in  Egypt  and 
in  charge  of  the  civil  government  of  Upper  Egypt.  Now 
he  is  commander-in-chief  of  all  the  armed  forces,  English 
and  native,  of  the  country.  Kitchener  is  the  Sirdar,  or 
General-in-chief,  under  Grenfell,  of  the  Egyptian  Army. 

Seven  years  have  made  a  good  deal  of  change  in  Sir 
Francis's  appearance.  His  hair  has  begun  to  turn,  his 
jowls  (!)  to  drop,  and  his  stomach  to  protrude!  Lady 


LADY  GRENFELL  AT  HOME  57 

Grenfell  has  worn  better;  she  was  very  sweet  and  gracious. 
Dr.  Linn,  a  conjurer,  had  been  engaged  to  amuse  such  as 
remained  in  the  grand  salon  to  see  his  tricks;  but  Louise 
and  I  soon  found  the  room  too  close  and  warm,  and  both 
of  us  sauntered  out  into  the  open  spaces,  she  with  an  Eng- 
lishman, whose  name,  of  course,  I  do  not  recall,  and  I  with 
the  Baroness  Malortie,  with  whom  I  chatted  and  took  tea 
for  half  an  hour  or  so.  Met  and  shook  hands  with  a  num- 
ber of  people  whom  I  had  seen  before,  whose  faces  were 
familiar,  but  whom  I  could  not  recall  by  name.  The  col- 
lation was  simple,  though  in  good  taste  and  sufficient, 
consisting,  I  was  told,  of  five  kinds  of  sandwiches,  various 
sorts  of  cakes,  marrons  glaces,  and  bonbons  in  profusion. 
Nothing  to  drink,  that  I  saw,  except  hot  tea,  though  there 
may  have  been  punches  and  lemonade. 

After  dinner  Mr.  John  H.  Bird,  of  New  York,  called  to 
invite  us  to  dine  with  him  and  wife  at  Hotel  Continental, 
to  meet  Mrs.  Crookshank  and  her  husband,  Crookshank 
Pasha.  She  is  an  American,  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Comfort, 
who  is  in  the  United  States  Consulate  at  Bombay.  Crook- 
shank  is  an  Englishman  and  said  to  be  the  representa- 
tive in  Egypt  of  the  Rothschilds  in  the  Debt  Department 
(Caisse  de  la  Dette).  Louise  although  she  had  no  engage- 
ment, declined,  simply  saying  to  Mr.  Bird,  "I  cannot  go 
on  Sunday  evening,"  giving  the  impression,  perhaps,  that 
she  would  not  dine  out  on  a  Sunday,  or  that  she  did  not 
know  Mrs.  Bird,  who  had  called,  but  whom  she  had  not 
met.  I  felt  very  uncomfortable  at  her  refusal  to  accept 
without  giving  any  good  reason,  and  had  to  make  the 
best  of  it  by  being  charmed  (! !)  to  go  without  her  on 
being  asked  if  I  would  accept  alone. 

Louise  during  the  evening  received  a  note  from  Mme. 


58  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Tugini,  the  wife  of  the  Italian  Minister,  inviting  us  both, 
at  the  instance  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Persian  Embassy,  to 
the  ceremony  of  the  marriage  of  Mohammed  Tewfik-el- 
Din  Bey,  at  Abdin,  near  the  Khedive's  Palace.  A  sa- 
lon is  to  be  given  to  the  European  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
and  dinner  is  to  be  served  to  them.  We  are  invited  for 
5.30  to-morrow  and  are  all  to  meet  at  the  Italian  Legation. 
The  secretary's  name  is  Antoine  Bacos  Bey,  evidently 
an  Italian. 

Saturday  —  November  27.  This  morning  I  tried  the  pair 
of  Arab  horses  and  bought  them  for  fifty  pounds.  They 
are  small,  but  of  good  color,  mahogany  bay,  and  one  of 
them  has  the  gait  of  a  trotter.  Jack  says  he  can  train 
him  to  beat  three  minutes.  I  should  not  be  surprised  at 
even  a  better  rate  than  that.  These  horses  will  "come 
in"  very  well  now,  due  to  the  accident  to  the  mares 
last  evening.  I  do  not  yet  know  the  particulars,  but  have 
heard  that  Jack  had  got  down  from  the  box  to  take  off  a 
piece  of  wire  that  had  clung  to  one  of  the  wheels,  leaving 
a  little  girl  standing  in  front  of  the  mares.  Something 
startled  them,  the  child  screamed,  and  off  they  bolted. 
They  were  brought  up,  I  am  told,  by  running  into  a  wagon 
loaded  with  iron,  a  piece  of  which  very  badly  cut  the  for- 
ward part  of  one  of  the  mare's  hind  legs,  above  the  knee. 
I  will  have  particulars  later  on.  This  occurred  about  5.30 
in  the  afternoon. 

In  the  morning,  after  the  trial  of  the  pair  of  stallions, 
I  went  to  the  Agency  and  was  busy  there  with  interviews 
and  workmen.  A  Mr.  Edwards,  from  Union  City,  called 
and  remained  quite  a  while.  He  was  a  Democrat,  in  fact 
he  had  been  Chairman  of  the  State  Committee  of  Ten- 


AN  ARAB  WEDDING  59 

nessee;  but  he  was  in  favor  of  McKinley  and  strongly 
advocated  a  protective  tariff.  He  had  had  enough  of 
Clevelandism. 

Back  to  the  Agency  in  the  afternoon  until  3.45,  when  I 
started  out  with  my  secretary  to  make  calls  on  the  Princes 
and  officers  of  the  Khedivial  Government.  At  5.30  with 
Louise  and  my  secretary,  I  took  advantage,  with  eager- 
ness, of  the  opportunity  that  was  offered  me  of  assisting 
at  an  Arab  wedding  in  high  life.  The  happy  man  was  Mo- 
hammed Tewfik-el-Din  Bey.  I  have  an  impression  that 
he  owns  much  landed  property  in  Cairo.  At  any  rate, 
his  bride  was  described  in  such  glowing  terms  that  I  shall 
ever  regret  the  rigid  laws  which  forbade  a  sight  of  her 
face.  The  invitation  to  the  wedding,  as  mentioned  above, 
had  come  to  us  through  the  courteous  intervention  of  the 
Italian  Minister.  The  ceremony  was  to  take  place  at  Ab- 
din,  near  the  Palace  of  the  Khedive.  A  salon  was  to  be 
reserved  for  our  especial  use  and  a  dinner  set  forth  for 
our  entertainment. 

We  set  out  for  the  Italian  Embassy,  there  to  meet  the 
party  that  was  to  attend  the  wedding.  Everybody  was 
in  readiness  and  we  rode  off  in  carriages  for  the  palace. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  brilliance  of  the  illuminations. 
The  streets,  for  blocks  about  the  palace,  were  studded 
with  gleams  from  lanterns  of  every  hue.  Venetian  poles 
were  planted  as  thick  as  forest  trees  and  from  their  tops 
stretched  gayly  colored  cords.  At  every  available  point 
hung  flags,  ribbons,  and  lamps.  The  lighted  censers 
swayed  to  and  fro,  darting  long  lines  of  yellow,  blue,  scar- 
let, and  green  towards  all  points  of  the  compass.  Our  car- 
riages rolled  under  and  over  tossing  seas  of  color. 

The  streets  were  densely  packed.  Natives  had  thronged 


60  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

to  the  palace,  and  were  now  wedged  in  position  outside  of 
the  square,  until  their  tarbouches  formed  something  very 
like  a  thoroughfare  carpeted  with  red.  They  were  an  or- 
derly crowd,  but  from  every  throat  issued  the  sing-song 
of  an  Arabic  dirge.  The  effect  was  that  of  a  thunder-storm, 
grumbling  below  the  horizon.  The  din  was  increased,  as 
we  rode  up,  by  two  clamorous  bands  of  musicians.  One  set 
evolved  a  conventional  tune.  The  other  was  made  up  of 
pipes  whose  combined  screechings  suggested  to  my  mind 
that  "the  Campbells  were  coming." 

We  were  set  down  in  the  center  of  all  the  noise,  and  con- 
ducted into  what  seemed  like  a  palatial  hall,  although  it  was 
merely  a  long  tent  fashioned  in  haste  for  this  occasion. 
The  gardens  of  the  Abdin  Palace  had  been  partly  enclosed 
with  gayly  patterned  canvas  curtains  of  blue,  yellow,  and 
red  applique  forms,  in  the  manner  peculiar  to  Egypt. 
Hence  we  were  occupying  a  patch  of  the  royal  grounds  some 
eighty  feet  wide  by  a  hundred  feet  long.  The  floor  of  this 
room,  if  I  may  so  designate  it,  had  been  sprinkled  to  some 
depth  with  yellow  gravel.  Along  the  sides  and  up  and  down 
the  center  stood  an  array  of  chairs,  and  these  were  oc- 
cupied by  a  turbaned  and  tarbouched  mob  of  elegantly 
dressed  persons.  Everybody  was  drinking  coffee  or  sher- 
bet, and  nearly  everybody  was  smoking  cigarettes.  Fortu- 
nately, the  ceiling  was  high  enough  to  enable  the  smoke 
to  ascend  about  forty  feet  above  our  heads;  we  might 
else  have  choked.  A  passage  had  been  cleared  through  this 
mass  of  humanity,  down  which  now  hurried  a  gorgeous 
Master  of  Ceremonies.  He  made  us  a  bow  of  the  Oriental 
description,  so  soothing  to  one's  sense  of  self-importance! 
Then  we  were  conducted  to  a  flight  of  broad,  marble  steps, 
that  led  to  the  first  vestibule.  A  turn  to  the  left,  a  bow, 


LOHENGRIN  AT  THE  OPERA  65 

her  in  to  dinner.  The  other  guests  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Watts.  The  dinner  was  good  and  the  wines  excellent,  and 
I  remained  until  nearly  ten  o'clock.  I  was  introduced  to 
some  other  Americans  after  dinner,  a  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Smith,  from  Indiana,  Mrs.  Robert  T.  Carter  and  a  Miss 
Garmany.  Mrs.  Smith  is  very  attractive-looking,  in  fact 
more  than  pretty;  about  twenty-two  to  twenty-four  years 
of  age  and  bridelike  in  appearance  —  most  becomingly 
gowned;  and  Miss  Garmany,  although  not  good-looking, 
is  pas  mal.  I  had  no  cause  not  to  be  well  satisfied  with 
them  both  as  presentable  American  girls. 

November  29.  Nothing  of  any  moment  to  record  for 
this  morning's  doings.  One  of  the  New  York  Cuttings 
called  to  make  oath  as  to  some  things  he  had  bought 
and  wished  to  ship  home.  The  Government  rooms  at  the 
Agency  were  in  great  disorder,  the  steam-fitters  having 
begun  to  cut  the  walls  for  their  pipes.  Mr.  Watts  was 
obliged  to  move  from  his  room  and  take  a  desk  with  my 
secretary.  I  mapped  out  a  letter  to  Assistant  Secretary 
Cridler,  concerning  Touhey's  incompetency,  begging  that 
a  capable  man  be  sent  to  Cairo  in  his  stead,  and  gave  it 
to  Mr.  Watts  to  print.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  to  the 
Agency,  Watts  and  my  secretary  going  off  to  make  calls. 
In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  opera  where  I  heard  and  saw 
"Lohengrin"  staged  and  sung  as  I  had  never  before  seen 
or  heard  it.  The  character  of  Lohengrin  was  taken  or 
sung  by  Borgatti,  an  Italian  with  a  true,  sweet,  and  pow- 
erful voice,  full  of  sympathy;  Elsa  by  Mendiroz;  the 
King  by  Grazia,  and  Ortrud  by  Bastia.  Mendiroz  was 
really  superb  in  her  voice  and  acting.  Grazia  was  more 
than  acceptable,  and  parts  of  Bastia's  renderings  were 


66  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

fully  up  to  the  standard  of  excellence.  Altogether  the 
opera  was  exceptionally  well  rendered.  We  had  in  our 
loge  the  Baroness  Malortie  and  Mr.  Davis,  in  addition 
to  our  three  selves.  The  Baroness,  an  Englishwoman, 
about  forty-five  years  old,  looked  superb,  robed  in  a  white 
figured  satin,  very  low  neck.  Louise  and  I  agree  that  she 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  women  we  have  ever  seen, 
and,  so  far  as  our  opportunity  can  make  us  judges,  as 
sweet  and  charming.  We  left  the  house  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  third  act,  say  12.15  A.M. 

November  30  —  Tuesday.  Jack  came  to  Shepheard's  at 
9.30  for  me  this  morning,  with  the  little  Arabian  stallions 
and  the  bicycle  wagon.  I  drove  the  pair  for  about  half 
an  hour  and  was  greatly  pleased  with  them.  About  eleven 
o'clock,  having  received  a  note  from  Judge  Tuck,  request- 
ing me  to  call  upon  Boutros  Pasha,  the  Minister  of  For- 
eign Affairs,  to  urge  a  prompt  passage  by  the  Council  of 
the  decree  that  assigns  him  from  Mansourah  to  Cairo, 
I  started  for  the  Department  and  was,  on  arrival,  promptly 
shown  into  the  private  apartment  of  the  Minister,  who 
rose  to  receive  me.  His  manner  was  especially  friendly 
and  we  soon  found  ourselves  in  a  very  pleasant  and  inti- 
mate discussion  of  various  subjects. 

After  I  had  an  opening  well  oiled,  as  the  French  say, 
I  stated  the  object  of  my  visit.  I  read  to  him  a  portion 
of  the  letter  which  Judge  Tuck  had  privately  written  to 
me,  which  was  all  the  stronger  because  it  was  a  private 
communication,  though  not  written  to  be  held  confiden- 
tially, and  after  some  references  to  Mansourah  and  the 
satisfaction  I  would  have  in  securing  for  the  representa- 
tive judges  of  the  United  States  the  assignments  to  Cairo, 


SUCCESSFUL  DIPLOMACY  67 

Boutros,  after  a  few  moments'  reflection  said,  "I  promise 
you  that  Judge  Tuck's  decree  shall  be  signed  on  Thurs- 
day next,  dependent  on  His  Highness  holding  the  Coun- 
cil; if  not  on  Thursday,  then  the  following  Saturday." 

I  leaned  forward  and  with  a  cordial  smile  and  warm 
expressions  of  thanks,  extended  my  hand,  which  he  took 
and  cordially  pressed,  smiling  in  return.  I  said  I  hoped 
he  would  pardon  me  if  I  had,  in  my  interview  with  him, 
overstepped  the  bounds  of  diplomatic  manner  and  con- 
versation; but  that  I  was  a  plain  man  whose  education 
had  been  with  men  of  affairs  in  mercantile  and  not  state 
matters,  and  that  I  was  accustomed  to  direct  dealing, 
where  frankness  and  truthfulness  were  the  rule,  and  for 
that  reason  I  had  been  so  plain  in  all  my  words.  He  an- 
swered with  the  most  charming  manner  that  he,  above  all, 
liked  the  direct  and  frank  treatment  —  that  it  was  always 
the  best,  though  not  always  followed  by  all. 

We  parted  after  exchanging  many  expressions  of  good- 
will and  I  returned  to  the  Agency  justly  proud,  I  hope,  of 
having  accomplished  in  a  half-hour  what  my  predecessor 
failed  to  do  in  four  years;  that  is,  to  have  both  the  repre- 
sentative judges  from  the  United  States  located  either 
in  Cairo  or  Alexandria  —  posts,  that,  as  one  of  the  six 
Great  Powers,  our  Republic  was  entitled  to  hold,  and  did 
hold  for  many  years  until  Judge  Tuck  was  sent  to  Man- 
sourah,  from  which  my  predecessor  was  unable  to  have  him 
changed  to  either  Cairo  or  Alexandria,  though  frequent 
vacancies  in  those  courts  occurred  during  his  incumbency. 

In  the  afternoon,  with  my  secretary,  I  made  visits  on 
Prince  Hussein1  and  other  members  of  the  royal  family, 

1  Hussein  Kamel  Pasha,  proclaimed  Sultan  of  Egypt  on  December  18,  1914, 
is  the  eldest  living  Prince  of  the  family  of  Mehemet  Ali.  Had  Abbas  Hilmi 


68  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

leaving  Louise's  cards  on  their  wives.  In  the  evening,  on 
account  of  the  cold,  sat  with  overcoat  and  hat  on  in  the 
hotel  hall  and  listened  to  violin,  harp,  and  flute  and  some 
vocal  music.  To  bed  about  11.30. 

Wednesday  —  December  1.  First  to  Avogados,  the 
Welsbach  (American)  light  man,  to  select  gas  fixtures,  of 
which  we  quickly  made  a  happy  choice,  —  no  small  mat- 
ter for  our  one  hundred  and  forty  burners!  Then  to  the 
Agency,  where  I  prepared  letters  for  Watts  to  write  to 
Boutros  Pasha  and  to  the  Department.  A  Mr.  Jones 
and  wife  (this  gives  no  very  close  identity)  called  and  re- 
mained about  an  hour.  They  are  from  St.  Louis,  formerly 
from  New  York.  She  is  a  Washington  woman,  of,  I  should 
say,  about  thirty  years.  He  at  one  time  was  one  of 
the  editors  of  the  "World."  He  told  me  it  was  he  who 
wrote  the  last  Democratic  (Bryan)  platform  at  Chicago ! ! 
After  luncheon  I  went  again  to  the  Agency  and  was  visited 
by  Tewfik-el-Din  Bey,  whose  sister  was  married  a  few 
nights  ago,  to  whose  wedding  we  went  and  of  which  I  have 
already  given  a  meager  description.  He  thought  he  owned 
the  office,  and  kept  me  there  until  I  was  worn  out  talking 
French  to  him.  The  explanation,  as  it  afterwards  turned 
out,  was  that  my  rank,  or  position,  compelled  me  to  give 
him  conge.  He  could  not  go  until  I  made  the  sign.  This, 

played  the  straight  game  he  would  have  now  been  Sultan  of  Egypt,  and  prob- 
ably have  become  in  time  Caliph  of  Islam,  a  dignity  which  was  vested  in 
Egypt  for  many  centuries,  until  it  was  seized  by  the  Turks  in  1517.  Owing  to 
his  belief  that  the  German  cause  must  triumph  and  to  his  dislike  of  the  English, 
Abbas  Hilmi  has  joined  the  group  of  exiled  rulers  —  a  dismal  destiny.  But  the 
real  cause,  which  I  have  not  seen  advanced,  is  that  Abbas  Hilmi  and  his 
younger  brother,  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  were  both  brought  up  and  educated 
in  Vienna,  and  imbibed  in  their  younger  days  a  certain  solidarity  with  the 
Teutonic  Powers.  Early  habits  rarely  fail  to  color  a  man's  character  and  fu- 
ture. (EDITOR.) 


Prince  Hussein  Kamel 

Son  of  the  Khedive 
Sultan  of  Egypt  since  191U 


J 


A  DANCE  AT  LADY  CROMER'S 


,    :    69 

unknowingly,  I  did  by  rising,  when,  much  to*  iny'fdief 
(and  his  too),  he  took  his  leave. 

Antoine  Bacos  Bey,  Secretary  to  the  Persian  Minister's 
Agency  here,  called  and  was  shown  to  our  salon.  He  is 
an  intelligent  man,  about  forty  years  old,  rather  stout, 
with  a  pleasant,  round  face.  He  had  been  of  the  suite  of 
the  Shah  of  Persia  when  that  sovereign  made  his  famous 
European  tour  in  1890.  His  father  came  from  Bagdad. 
He  was  born  in  Egypt.  Spoke  with  me  nothing  but  French. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  a  small  dance  at 
Lady  Cromer's.  There  were  about  one  hundred  people 
there  and  the  house  seemed  filled  with  well-dressed  women, 
red  coats,  and  "ordered  men."  The  ballroom  is  especially 
fine  —  almost  square,  with  parquet  floor,  white  walls  and 
woodwork,  but  with  rich  hangings 
and  the  furniture  with  plenty  of 
color.  Electric  lightings  from  the 
sides  of  the  ceiling  shed  a  soft  and 
pleasing  glow  upon  us  all.  The  buf- 
fet, or  supper,  was  very  simple  ac- 
cording to  our  notion,  though  in 
perfect  good  taste  and  according  to 
the  English  custom.  A  small  table, 
say  eight  feet  long,  was  spread  in 
one  of  the  smaller  rooms  and  placed 
opposite  the  entrance,  near  the  wall, 
aind  between  the  openings  that  gave 
light  to  the  apartment.  Behind  it 
stood  two  Indian  servants,  dressed 
in  white,  with  red  scarfs  about  their 
waists  and  huge  turbans  on  their  heads,  their  legs  covered 
with  white  stuff  —  cotton  cloth,  I  suppose  —  tightly  drawn 


70.    .........DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

over 'the  calves,  from  above  the  knees  to  their  Oriental 
toes-turned-up,  red-morocco  slippers.  The  accompanying 
figure  will  give  an  idea.  I  afterwards  saw  a  couple  more 
of  these  Indians,  consequently  I  suppose  that  most  of 
the  domestics  are  of  this  nationality.  The  table  was 
furnished  with  a  variety  of  sandwiches,  egg,  ham,  pate 
and  so  on,  with  tea  and  chocolate,  champagne  cup,  and 
lemonade:  everything,  except  tea  and  chocolate,  cold.  I 
forgot  to  say  there  were  small  pastry-like  cakes,  as  well 
as  bonbons,  but  with  them  all,  should  such  refreshments 
be  offered  with  us  in  the  United  States,  much  disagree- 
able comment  might  be  the  result.  Louise  was  dressed  in 
what  she  calls  her  Pompadour  frock  and  looked  lovely. 
Lord  and  Lady  Gromer  were  very  polite.  I  was  stupidly 
distrait  throughout  and  could  have  kicked  myself  after  I 
had  left  for  forgetting  to  be  presented  to  the  wives  of  the 
Ministers,  who  had  requested  me  to  present  them  to 
Louise,  especially  to  Mme.  Koyander,  at  whose  table  we 
are  invited  to  dine  Sunday  next.  I  blush  (!)  with  morti- 
fication every  time  I  think  of  it.  Mr.  Dawkins  took  Louise 
to  the  buffet,  and  I,  his  wife.  I  talked  with  Mme.  Mas- 
kins,  a  very  pretty  woman  and  still  young,  longer  than  to 
anybody  else.  Lady  Gromer  I  held  so  spellbound  that 
almost  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence  she  rose  and  seated 
herself  elsewhere  ! !  We  were  home  by  11.30.  Jack  drove 
us,  with  the  Arabs  hitched  to  the  victoria,  going,  but 
changed  them  to  the  brougham  returning — they  make  a 
good  little  pair  and  we  like  them  exceedingly. 

Thursday  —  December  2.  To  the  Agency  early,  where  I 
at  once  prepared  dispatches  to  the  Government  respect- 
ing the  cablegram  that  I  had  sent  concerning  the  accept- 


JUDGE  BATCHELLER'S  ASSIGNMENT      71 

ance  of  the  nomination  of  Judge  Batcheller,  taking  some 
credit  to  myself  for  not  only  having  had  the  nomination 
accepted,  but  for  having  Judge  Batcheller  assigned  to 
Cairo  in  face  of  the  fact  that  the  Egyptian  Government 
contended,  for  three  or  four  years,  that  the  last  appoint- 
ments must  go  to  Mansourah,  a  healthy  but  most  un- 
acceptable place  for  residence;  and  in  face  of  the  further 
fact  that  Judge  Tuck  of  thai  court  was  about  to  be  sent 
to  Cairo,  leaving  a  vacancy  there.  Yesterday  I  wrote  a 
letter  to  Boutros  Pasha,  in  which  I  detailed  what  he  had 
promised  me,  to  clinch  the  matter, and  check  any  change, 
should  one  be  contemplated,  and  in  reply  to-day,  I  re- 
ceived a  most  cordial  one  from  him,  addressed  to  me  as 
"Cher  M.  Harrison,"  and  signed,  "Votre  tout  devoue," 
announcing  the  fact  that  His  Highness  had  signed  Judge 
Tuck's  decree.  I  also  sent  a  second  and  long  letter  to 
Assistant  Secretary  Cridler,  about  Mr.  Touhey,  the  con- 
sular clerk,  asking  for  his  relief  and  the  assignment  of  a 
younger  and  more  capable  man  to  the  office.  A  copy  of 
this  letter  I  mailed  to  Penrose,  requesting  that  he  interest 
himself.  In  the  afternoon,  at  the  Agency,  I  wrote  a  num- 
ber of  letters  to  manufacturers  of  plumbers'  supplies,  pic- 
ture mouldings,  and  other  useful  things  and  made  a  re- 
port, through  the  Department,  to  Brice,  of  New  Orleans, 
on  cotton  ties,  quality  and  quantity  used,  from  what 
points  I  now  had,  and  the  cost  laid  down  at  Alexandria. 
Louise  went  to  a  reception  at  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sandwith's 
in  the  afternoon.  In  the  evening  to  the  opera,  "La  Travi- 
ata,"  which  was  most  charmingly  rendered.  We  had 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watts  in  our  loge.  Left  the  opera  at  about 
11.30  before  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  act. 


72  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

December  3.  To  the  Agency  early,  first  going  to  my 
stable  behind  a  Russian  stallion  that  a  dealer  wished  to 
sell  to  me.  "Nellie  Ely"  was  all  right,  but  "Lady  Knox," 
though  improving,  was  still  in  bad  shape,  and  I  feel  sure 
that  the  wound  will  not  be  well  for  a  month  at  least.  Un- 
fortunately, "Nellie  Ely"  whinnies  so  much  when  away 
from  "Knox"  that  it  is  unpleasant  to  drive  her;  conse- 
quently we  are  reduced  to  the  little  Arabs  for  all  our  work. 

Finished  the  Government  dispatches  and  left  the 
Agency  for  the  hotel  about  12.30.  The  whole  house  is  in 
the  greatest  confusion  with  plumbers,  steam-fitters,  car- 
penters, and  painters,  as  well  as  upholsterers,  who  have 
begun  to  put  up  hangings  in  some  of  the  rooms.  Eleven 
cases  of  furniture  arrived  to-day  from  Florence  via  Alex- 
andria; no  word  about  the  balance  of  the  goods  from 
Lemon  and  Company,  and  there  are  still  to  come  thirteen 
chairs  from  one  party,  carving-table  with  mirror  from 
another,  commode  and  two  night  stands  from  a  third, 
pictures  from  Sani  which  were  to  be  framed;  all  of  these 
from  Florence.  From  Turin  two  large  hall  chairs,  three 
commodes,  and  two  cheval  glasses.  I  fear  Lemon  and 
Company  are  acting  inattentively  and  unkindly.  In  the 
afternoon  first  to  the  Agency  to  sign  some  papers,  and 
then  Watts  and  I,  with  victoria  and  the  Arabs,  went  to 
Kasr-el-Nil,  the  Citadel  and  Abbassieh  to  call  on  the  colo- 
nels of  the  different  regiments;  the  proper  thing  to  do, 
we  were  advised  by  Surgeon-General  Muhr.  All  absent 
attending  a  cricket  match.  In  the  afternoon  Louise  and 
I  dined  at  the  Continental,  as  the  guests  of  General  Muhr 
and  his  wife.  Eight  sat  down;  two  were  colonels  and  two 
the  wives  of  officers.  After  dinner  we  adjourned  to  the 
ballroom,  where  the  hotel  gave  a  dance.  Louise  danced 


AN  INEFFICIENT  ASSISTANT  73 

the  lancers  with  General  Muhr.  We  were  "home"  by 
10.45.  At  the  dinner  were  Mrs.  Matthias,  who  sat  next 
to  jne,  Mrs.  Adamson,  Captain  Adamson,  a  surgeon,  and 
Colonel  Langhorn,  of  the  Warwickshire  Regiment,  in 
addition  to  Louise,  the  host  and  hostess,  and  myself, 

December  4  —  Saturday.  To  the  Agency  early,  stop- 
ping at  the  stable  and  seeing  "Nellie  Ely,"  whose  leg  is 
getting  along  fairly  well.  More  or  less  busy  directing  me- 
chanics, or  watching  them  at  work,  and  wrote  a  letter  to 
Touhey  in  reply  to  his  request  to  have  printed  on  his  card 
the  word  "Attache."  This  I  declined,  in  a  positive  man- 
ner, to  permit.  Touhey,  though  a  pleasant,  gentlemanly 
fellow,  is  not  to  be  relied  upon  for  any  work  that  is  needed 
to  be  well  done.  In  other  words,  all  but  the  mere  routine 
of  the  office  that  he  attempts  and  does  must  be  revised, 
else  it  would  be  unsafe  to  trust  to  its  perfection.  He  has 
a  curious  disposition,  or  rather,  a  disposition  that  is  more 
or  less  unpleasantly  common;  he  is  pettily  jealous,  think- 
ing he  does  not  receive  the  courtesies  that  may  be  due 
him  or  the  attention  that  he  considers  should  be  paid  him. 
As  an  instance,  he  complained  to  Watts,  after  I  had  been 
a  couple  of  days  at  the  office,  that  I  had  not  gone  into  his 
room  to  say  "Good-morning"  to  him.  I  put  him  right 
a  few  days  afterwards  by  asking  him  if  his  inattention  in 
not  saying  "Good-morning"  to  me  when  I  arrived  was 
intentional  or  an  oversight.  He  was  very  humble  and 
apologized.  He  does  not  like  work  and  gets  sick  when 
such  is  proposed.  I  have  requested  that  he  be  at  the 
Agency  at  ten,  remain  until  twelve,  back  at  two,  and  re- 
main until  four:  the  same  hours  for  all;  I,  in  the  afternoon, 
at  the  office  until  4.30. 


74  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Brewster  Bey  called  at  six  and  remained  almost  an 
hour,  giving  me  names  of  officials  on  whom  I  should  call. 
At  home,  at  the  hotel,  during  the  evening,  Judge  Tuck 
sitting  with  us  after  dinner. 

December  5.  In  the  morning,  about  10.30,  started  out 
with  my  secretary  to  go  through  the  bazaars  and  see 
some  more  carpets.  We  found  our  way  into  a  couple  of 
shops,  in  one  of  which  we  were  shown  the  most  exquisite 
jewels  and  silk  rugs;  one  of  the  latter,  quite  small,  was 
priced  at  £1200,  because  not  only  of  its  beauty,  but  of 
its  age;  it  is  said  to  be  nearly  two  hundred  years  old.  In 
the  afternoon  Jack  drove  me  behind  "Nellie  Bly"  in  the 
two-seated  surrey.  She  whinnied  constantly  for  her  mate, 
"Lady  Knox."  We  went  as  far  as  the  prisons,  and,  not- 
withstanding, enjoyed  the  drive  greatly.  We  beat  every- 
thing on  the  road  and  excited  great  attention  on  account 
of  our  light  rig  and  speed.  We  received  three  invitations 
to  dine,  two  of  which  we  accepted,  but  that  to  Crookshank 
Pasha's  we  declined.  The  others  were  from  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dawkins  and  Mr.  Money;  the  latter  the  principal  repre- 
sentative of  England  in  the  Daira  Sanieh,  or  Public  Land 
Department.  In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  din- 
ner at  the  Russian  Legation  —  Koyander  and  his  wife  — 
and  sat  down  with  them,  Boutros  Pasha,  de  Willebois  and 
his  wife,  Ivanhoff  and  his  wife,  Countess  Landberg,  and 
a  Bey,  an  Austrian  in  the  Egyptian  service,  named  Thur- 
neyssen,  who  had  been  with  Maximilian  in  Mexico.  With 
him,  too,  were  Count  della  Sala  and  Baron  Malortie.  I 
sat  between  Mme.  van  der  Does  de  Willebois  and  the 
Bey,  but  took  in  to  dinner  Mme.  Ivanhoff,  of  the  Russian 
Legation.  She  was  placed  opposite  to  me,  between  the 


CALLERS  AT  THE  AGENCY  75 

Bey  and  de  Willebois.  The  dinner  was  excellent,  even 
though  the  champagne  was  sweet  and  the  bordeaux  only 
second-grade.  Louise  was  by  far  the  best-dressed  and 
most  distinguished-looking  woman  there;  the  Countess 
Landberg  ran  a  close  second.  Home  and  in  bed  by  11.30. 

December  6.  At  the  Agency  early.  A  Mr.  Bird,  of  Boston, 
called.  He  is  a  son  of  my  old  friend  Sigourney  Bird,  who 
was  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Forest  River  White  Lead 
Company.  He  has  been  spending  his  winters  on  the  Nile, 
with  his  wife,  in  a  dahabeah,  for  the  past  four  years,  and 
is  about  to  start  on  his  fifth  to-morrow.  He  gave  me  the 
name  of  his  boat  and  a  very  pressing  invitation  to  visit 
him.  Afterwards,  the  representative  of  the  American  Ex- 
ploration Society,  with  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Stevenson, 
called.  He  is  an  Englishman  and  I  should  say  a  very  cap- 
able man.  I  turned  him  over  to  Watts  to  see  that  he  met 
M.  Loret  without  delay.  Back  to  the  Agency  at  2  P.M. 
and  at  3.30  left  it,  with  Louise,  to  do  some  shopping.  In 
the  evening  to  the  opera  to  hear  "Manon,"  which  was 
very  creditably  performed  and  sung.  The  end  of  the 
third  act  was  superb,  the  orchestra  excellent,  especially 
in  the  overture  to  the  third  act.  We,  Louise  and  I,  left 
at  the  end  of  that  act,  leaving  behind  us  Countess  Mont- 
joie  and  her  daughter,  my  secretary  and  his  friend  Plun- 
cheon. 

December  7  —  Tuesday.  Early  at  the  Agency.  Nothing 
of  moment  to  record.  We  were  visited  by  three  ladies, 
who  did  not  give  their  names,  wanting  advice  as  to  going 
to  Constantinople,  whether  or  not  it  were  safe  to  travel 
so  soon  after  the  Greco-Turkish  war.  Again  at  my  work 


76  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

in  the  afternoon.  Blocked  out  a  letter  to  the  Philadelphia 
Commercial  Museum,  for  transmission  through  the  De- 
partment, giving  my  views  as  to  the  ability  of  the  Egyp- 
tian markets  to  absorb  American  manufactures,  with  di- 
rections how  to  proceed  to  introduce  the  goods. 

Received  from  Lord  Cromer  his  views  on  the  Colonel 
Long  pension  claim,  together  with  a  memorandum  from 
the  Finance  Department  —  both  adverse.  Their  reason- 
ing seemed  conclusive;  but  I  will  transmit  a  copy  of  their 
papers  to  Long  and  give  him  a  chance  to  reply.  Left  the 
office  at  about  4.30  with  Watts  and  stopped  in  at  the  Turf 
Club,  where  I  met  Father  Brinley  and  had  a  long  and 
pleasant  talk  with  him.  Another  invitation  to  dinner  for 
Friday  next,  from  the  Countess  della  Sala,  but  we  are 
engaged  to  dine  at  Sir  Elwin  Palmer's.  Had  a  quiet  at 
home  in  the  evening. 

December  8  —  Wednesday.  Early  at  the  Agency,  and 
found  Mr.  Broadbent,  the  United  States  Consular  Agent 
at  Port  Said,  with  Mr.  Watts,  who  was  talking  with  him 
about  the  terms  of  a  reappointment.  The  Consular  Agent 
at  Alexandria  contributes  handsomely  to  the  main  office 
here,  but  those  at  Port  Said  and  Suez  give  little  or  noth- 
ing, while  the  position  enables  the  holder  to  gain  largely. 
I  have  left  the  matter  with  Watts  to  arrange,  as  he  is  the 
principal  party  in  interest.  The  whole  office  is  in  confusion 
and  dirt  —  only  Touhey's  room  free  from  workmen.  I 
am  hoping  that,  by  the  end  of  the  week,  I  shall  be  com- 
fortably located  in  my  own  room  with  heat  and  gas. 

In  the  afternoon  mailed  Christmas  cards;  wrote  to  Coxe, 
and  afterwards,  with  my  secretary,  was  driven  to  Fagalla, 
where  I  left  cards  on  Boutros  Pasha  for  myself,  and  on 


General  Sir  Francis  Grenfell 
Sirdar  of  the  Egyptian  Army,  1885-92 


DINNER  WITH  MR.  MONEY  77 

his  wife,  for  Louise;  also,  in  the  same  district,  on  two  other 
Turks,  and  my  secretary  left  his  card  on  Prince  Fuad. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  dine  with  Mr. 
Money,  Chief  of  the  Department  of  the  Public  Debt,  a  very 
distinguished-looking  old  gentleman  of  about  seventy, 
with  a  long  white  beard.  His  apartment  is  near  Shep- 
heard's  and  one  drives  in  a  garden  or  large  court.  The 
entrance  is  quite  imposing  and  the  marble  stairway  that 
leads  to  the  suite  is  wide  and  easy  to  ascend.  One  is  much 
impressed  on  alighting  from  one's  brougham  by  the  usual 
brave  appearance  made  at  the  doorway  by  the  servants. 
Cawasses  and  boabs,  and  both  richly  or  picturesquely 
attired,  stand  "at  attention,"  or  move  forward  to  assist, 
and  lend  an  air  of  Oriental  exaggeration  which  may  pro- 
duce a  feeling  within  you  of  your  own  importance  for  the 
time  being. 

The  ladies  on  entering  were  shown  to  a  room  on  the 
right  and  there  removed  their  wraps.  The  men  gave 
their  coats  and  hats  either  to  their  own  servants,  as  I  did 
mine  to  the  janissary,  or  to  the  house  attendants.  On  the 
first-floor  landing,  our  host,  Mr.  Money  (curious  coinci- 
dence that  this  name  should  belong  to  the  man  so  highly 
connected  with  the  finances  of  the  country),  met  us  and 
ushered  us  into  the  drawing-room,  where  we  found  most 
of  the  guests  already  assembled.  There  were  Lord  and 
Lady  Cromer,  General  Sir  Francis  and  Lady  Grenfell,1 
General  Money  (of  the  Scotch  Highlanders),  and  his  wife, 

1  Sir  Francis  Grenfell,  Sirdar  of  the  Egyptian  Army  (1885),  was  a  splendid 
officer  who  commanded  the  frontier  field  forces  composed  of  British  and  na- 
tive Egyptians.  No  one  ever  thought  of  interfering  with  Sir  Francis  Grenfell. 
No  one  ever  interfered  with  Lord  Kitchener,  his  successor.  The  Egyptian 
Army  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  successes  of  English  control  in  Egypt. 
The  native  troops  are  excellent  when  led  by  British  officers.  (EDITOR.) 


78  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Countess  Landberg  and  her  diamonds,  Maskins  (Belgian 
Minister)  and  his  wife  and  daughter,  Miss  Baring,  Mus- 
tapha  Pasha  Fehmy1  (the  Prime  Minister),  Count  Metter- 
nich  (the  German  Minister),  and  ourselves.  The  drawing- 
room  was  a  spacious  apartment,  with  very  high  ceiling, 
lighted  incandescently  and  sumptuously  and  tastefully 
decorated  and  furnished,  with  quantities  of  objets  d'art  and 
fairly  good  pictures.  The  chairs  were  all  comfortable;  no 
small,  straight-back,  hard-seated  furniture  was  to  be  seen. 

We  soon  entered  the  dining-room,  and  Louise,  taken  in 
by  Lord  Cromer,  sat  on  his  right,  in  the  middle  of  one  of 
the  sides.  Lady  Cromer,  escorted  by  Mustapha  Pasha 
Fehmy,  sat  immediately  opposite.  I  took  in  Mrs.  Money 
and  was  placed  at  one  end;  Mr.  Money,  the  host,  at  the 
other.  On  my  left  I  had  Miss  Maskins,  a  very  sweet  and 
quite  attractive-looking  young  girl  of  about  twenty. 

The  dinner  was  excellent,  both  in  selection  and  cooking. 
The  soup  was  especially  good,  then  followed  a  vol  au  vent 
of  ecrevisse;  then  a  very  small  filet,  about  as  big  as  a  dollar; 
chicken  au  Gothard,  a  delicious  dish  of  chicken  cut  in  small 
pieces,  in  a  form  of  pastry,  with  a  sauce  of  truffles  and 
mushrooms  —  something  like  the  dish  that  Martin  Cow- 
dry  makes,  only  he  uses  chicken  livers  instead  of  the  meat; 
then  Brussels  sprouts;  then  roast  quail  on  toast,  with  a 
mixed  or  macedoine  salad;  cheese  straws  and  mustard  being 
handed  at  the  same  time;  then  ice  cream  in  pyramidal 
forms,  with  crisp  almond  cakes  about  the  base;  then  bon- 
bons, marrons  glaces,  fruits,  etc.  Sherry  and  hock  together 
were  first  served,  you  being  asked  which  you  preferred. 
Then  champagne  throughout,  until  the  quail,  when  Bur- 

1  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy  was  an  elderly  man,  who  was  succeeded  in  1907 
by  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali  (see  above,  p.  23).  (EDITOR.) 


Mustapha  Fehmy  Pasha 


DINNER  WITH  MR.  MONEY  79 

gundy  was  served.  With  the  ices  and  sweets,  your  choice 
of  port  or  claret,  and  finally  a  liqueur,  or  cognac,  with  the 
cafe  turc,  while,  with  the  coffee,  cigarettes  and  cigars  were 
offered,  some  of  the  ladies  smoking  the  former. 

In  about  five  minutes  the  host  rose,  took  Lady  Cromer 
and  moved  towards  the  door.  This  was  a  sign  for  us  all  and 
we  all  left  the  table  for  the  drawing-room,  where  we  men 
saw  our  ladies  comfortably  seated  and  then  returned  to 
the  dining-room  to  smoke.  Lord  Cromer  placed  himself 
alongside  of  me  and  chatted,  alluding  finally  and  quite 
seriously  to  his  regret  that  the  decision  of  the  Finance  De- 
partment was  against  Colonel  Long.  At  about  ten  o'clock 
guests  began  to  arrive,  and  soon  we,  who  had  been  smok- 
ing, returned  to  the  drawing-room,  which  we  found  filled 
with  guests,  the  majority  newly  arrived  and  only  invited 
for  the  evening.  The  scene  was  most  attractive.  We  had 
some  vocal  music  by  two  of  the  ladies,  each  in  her  turn, 
and  about  eleven  Louise  and  I,  the  first  to  depart,  took  our 
leave. 

Thursday — December  9.  Early  at  the  Agency.  Work- 
men still  in  the  room  I  am  to  occupy,  obliging  me  and 
Mr.  Watts  to  continue  together  in  one  apartment.  I  am 
promised  mine  and  the  steam  heat  by  Monday  next,  at 
the  latest.  Brindisi  mail  in  to-day  brought  me  a  letter 
from  H.  B.  and  Company,  but  nothing  from  Lemon  and 
Company.  Sent  them  again  a  telegram,  also  one  to  Has- 
kard,  the  bankers,  requesting  them  to  see  Lemon  and  learn 
why  they  did  not  reply  to  my  message.  Neither  is  there 
any  advice  from  Paris  about  the  wall-paper.  Was  any  one 
ever  so  tried?  We  have  about  determined  to  wait  no  longer 
for  goods  from  Europe,  but  to  tint  the  walls  and  buy  what 


80  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

things  we  need  here — poor  though  they  be.  What  troubles 
us  most  is  that  all  the  cooking-utensils  that  we  bought  in 
Florence,  a  full  battery,  have  not  yet  arrived.  Our  chef 
will  be  at  the  house  by  Monday  next  and  not  a  tool  with 
which  he  can  work.  On  my  return  to  Shepheard's  found 
Louise  on  the  Terrace  with  some  ladies.  She  presented  me 
to  a  Mrs.  Franklin,  from  Lancaster,  a  sister-in-law  of  my 
friend,  George  Franklin.  Returned  to  the  Agency  in  the 
afternoon,  wrote  to  George  Eyre,  of  Lemon  and  Company, 
demanding  an  explanation.  In  the  evening  went  to  the 
opera  to  see  and  hear  "Rigoletto."  The  third  act  was 
fairly  well  done,  but  the  first  and  second  were  poorly  ren- 
dered. Rigoletto  was  not  good  throughout,  that  is,  the 
artist  that  sung  the  part.  General  and  Mrs.  Muir  were 
invited  and  shared  our  loge.  They  are  a  dear  couple.  M. 
Turnure  came  in  and  remained  during  an  entre'acte. 
Home  about  11.40. 

Friday — December  10.  Early  to  Agency .  Still  compelled 
to  use  Watts's  room,  but  the  workmen  have  finished  the 
walls  of  the  two  adjoining  rooms  and  the  ceiling  of  the 
vestibule,  and,  I  am  glad  to  say,  fire  was  put  under 
the  boiler  of  the  steam  heater.  Maroni  called  and  I  made 
an  arrangement  to  inspect  some  American  machinery  with 
him  that  had  been  sold  as  new,  but  was  claimed  to  be 
second-hand  by  the  buyers  here.  Watts  received  a  cable- 
gram from  Mrs.  Gregg,  the  mother  of  his  wife,  announcing 
the  death  of  Mr.  Gregg.  Although  he  had  no  great  affec- 
tion for  him,  it  agitated  him  on  his  wife's  account,  and  he 
did  not  hesitate  to  show  and  express  uneasiness  as  to  how 
she  would  receive  the  intelligence. 

The  agent  selected  by  the  Exploration  Society  (Dr. 


DINNER  AT  SIR  EDWIN  PALMER'S       81 

Pepper  and  Mrs.  Stevenson)  came  in  bringing  with  him 
a  young  English  lord,  whose  name  I  have  forgotten.  They 
remained  about  a  half  an  hour.  I  also  had  a  visit  from  a 
Mr.  Lewis,  who  is  from  Harrisburg  and  now  a  teacher 
in  the  American  College  at  Beirut,  Syria. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  dinner  with  Louise  at  Sir 
Elwin  and  Lady  Palmer's  at  eight  o'clock.  Besides  the 
host  and  hostess,  there  were  Lord  and  Lady  Cromer, 
Sirdar,  Sir  Herbert  Kitchener  (a  superb-looking,  sol- 
dierly man,  at  least  six  feet  tall,  and  weighing  at  least 
one  hundred  and  ninety  pounds,  and  about  forty-five 
years  old;  he  took  Louise  in  to  dinner  and  sat  on  her 
right),  Major  and  Mrs.  Kennedy  (the  latter  a  Churchill, 
cousin  of  Lord  Randolph  and  said  to  have  an  income  of 
about  £12,000;  she  was  a  very  ladylike,  rather  pretty 
woman,  frail-looking,  and  about  thirty-five  or  so;  I  took 
her  to  the  table);  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Gordon,  a  distin- 
guished-looking couple.  Mrs.  Gordon  is  handsome  and 
quite  agreeable.  I  talked  with  her  a  half-hour  after 
the  dinner.  I  sat  on  Lady  Palmer's  left  and  was  very 
agreeably  placed  between  her  and  Mrs.  Kennedy,  who 
was  more  like  an  American  than  like  an  Englishwoman. 
The  dinner  was  good,  but  not  fine,  and  no  effort  at  display 
was  made.  The  servants  consisted  of  two  Arabs,  with  a 
European  butler.  The  soup,  clear  and  of  good  flavor; 
the  fish,  red  mullet,  dry  and  insipid,  as  usual;  then  the 
breasts  of  snipe,  much  browned  and  with  a  brown  sauce; 
after  which  came  filets  mignons  with  vegetables,  fol- 
lowed by  pates  of  crushed  chicken  livers;  then  English 
pheasant,  served  with  the  feathered  head,  wings,  and 
long  tail,  with  a  salad;  small  pieces  of  toast,  about  an 
inch  square  covered  with  anchovy  paste  were  handed 


82  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

around  —  no,  before  the  anchovy,  ice  cream  was  served. 
Port  and  madeira  were  passed  with  the  ice  cream.  The 
wines  served  before  this  were  sherry  and  champagne. 

Coffee  was  served  before  the  ladies  left.  The  men,  Eng- 
lish fashion,  were  not  required  to  escort  them  to  the  draw- 
ing-room, but  stayed  in  the  dining-room  and  smoked, 
remaining  at  least  a  half  an  hour,  which  is  longer  than 
the  usual  rule.  I  am  told  that  the  English  custom  is  to 
permit  the  ladies  to  retire  to  the  drawing-room  alone, 
while  that  of  the  Continental  Europeans  is  for  the  men 
to  escort  them  and  then  return  to  smoke.  This  method 
is  observed  here  with  the  English,  all  except  at  Lord 
Cromer's.  Louise  and  I  left  at  10.30. 

Saturday — December  1 1 .  Early  at  the  Agency.  Finished 
the  preparation  of  the  letter  to  the  Philadelphia  Com- 
mercial Museum,  respecting  a  market  for  Egypt  for 
many  and  sundry  American  manufactures.  This  I  will 
mail  to-morrow,  or  may  wait  until  the  next  regular  mail 
day,  sending  it  to  Philadelphia  through  the  Department 
at  Washington,  which  may  think  it  well  to  take  parts  of  it 
for  a  consular  report.  Fire  was  made  under  the  new  heater 
boiler  to-day,  and  the  pipes  and  radiators  of  the  system 
were  tested  and  found  satisfactory. 

Again  at  the  Agency  in  the  afternoon  until  4.20,  then 
Louise  called  for  me  and  we  visited  Dr.  Butcher  and 
wife  at  the  Church  House.  We  found  there  a  number  of 
people,  Saturday  afternoon  being  their  receiving  day. 
Afterwards,  having  received  an  invitation  from  Mrs.  Parry, 
the  clever  and  "extensive"  Welshwoman,  who  is  un- 
usually bright  and  weighs  about  three  hundred  pounds, 
we  took  tea  with  her  in  the  hall  at  Shepheard's,  where 


Sir  Elwin  Palmer 

Financial  Adviser  of  Egypt;  later  President  of  the  National  Bank 
Died  in  1906 


DINNER  AT. MR.  DAWKINS'S  83 

she  had  a  table,  surrounded  by  about  ten  or  twelve  chairs 
and  set  with  tea  equipage,  cake,  and  so  forth.  We  met  a 
granddaughter  of  Sir  George  Eliot,  who  was  with  us  in 
1890  at  Hurlingham;  a  Mrs.  "Somebody"  Smith,  who  is 
archseologically  inclined  and  talked  temples,  tombs,  and 
hieroglyphics;  a  Mr.  Barbour  Lathrop,  of  California,  who 
brought  a  letter  of  introduction  to  me  from  Secretary  Sher- 
man, and  a  number  of  others. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  dinner  at  Mr.  Dawkins's, 
who  holds  a  most  important  position  in  the  Finance  De- 
partment of  the  Egyptian  Government,  only  second  to 
Sir  Elwin  Palmer.  His  home  is  on  the  Kasr-el-Nil  Street, 
and  is  imposing  from  without  and  spacious  and  well  fur- 
nished within.  A  dozen  sat  down,  but  with  the  exception 
of  a  Mrs.  Blair,  a  very  pretty  young  woman  who  was 
making  a  visit  to  Cairo  from  Alexandria,  I  did  not  hear 
the  names  of  any  of  the  guests,  and  only  knew  Lady 
Garstin,  besides  the  host  and  hostess.  I  did  not  know  the 
name  even  of  the  woman  who  sat  on  my  left  and  to  whom 
I  talked  both  at,  and  after,  the  dinner.  Dawkins  took 
in  Louise,  and  I  his  wife.  She  was  born  in  New  Orleans, 
but  has  spent  all  her  life  abroad.  She  claims  to  be  an 
American,  and  proudly,  too.  Her  husband  told  me  he 
"had  had  the  honor  to  marry  an  American."  I  shall  try 
to  give  the  menu  of  this  dinner,  having  burdened  three 
pages  previously  with  such  detail,  and  it  may  interest 
me  at  some  future  time  to  recall  it.  The  soup  was  a  clear 
one,  with  whole  petits  pois,  but,  although  of  good  flavor, 
was  not  strong  enough  and  was  only  tepid.  The  fish  course 
was  served  in  small  china  pots  which  held  f^^***^ 
a  little  more  than  a  square  inch  of  fish,  the  ~CZjF~ 
sauce  of  which  was  white,  with  crevettes;  next  came  a  sliced 


84  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

filet;  then  cold  bird  with  a  macedoine  jelly,  served  around 
it  on  the  dish,  also  cold.  After  this  came  what  looked  like 
a  small  cutlet  which  I  did  not  taste,  but 
which  Louise  said  was  stuffed  with  some- 
thing; and  roast  snipe  with  salad;  next  an 
ice  was  served,  and  a  cake  or  crisp  pastry 
with  cheese  in  the  center,  an 
oval  form;  then  bonbons  and  coffee.  Sherry 
was  served  with  the  soup,  and  champagne, 
happily  dry,  followed  and  continued  throughout  the  meal. 
Before  the  ice  and  sweets  were  served,  all  of  the  wine- 
glasses were  removed,  except  those  for  port  and  a  liqueur 
or  cognac,  which  were  afterwards  offered.  We  left  at 
about  10.15,  and  thought  the  dinner,  on  the  whole,  excel- 
lent and  the  company  very  agreeable. 

Sunday — December  12.  It  had  been  our  intention  to 
drive  to  the  Pyramids  to-day  and  take  luncheon  at  the 
Mena  House;  but  the  wind  was  so  high  and  the  clouds  of 
dust  so  disagreeable  that  we  concluded  to  defer  the  trip. 
I  went  to  the  stable  early  to  countermand  the  order  for 
the  surrey;  and  while  there  met  Moroni,  the  Italian  engi- 
neer, who  took  me  to  his  room  and  electrical  works  a  few 
doors  away.  After  looking  about  his  place  he  accompanied 
me  to  the  Agency,  where  we  inspected  the  hot-water  heater 
that  he  had  installed.  The  Western  mail  arrived  and  I 
found,  with  my  exequatur,  a  letter  from  Baker,  giving  me 
an  account  of  my  horse  sale,  as  well  as  several  other  letters 
of  interest.  We  received  an  invitation  to  a  tea  in  the 
Shepheard's  Hotel  Gardens,  from  Djafer  Fakhri,  a  son 
of  one  of  the  Ministers,  Fakhri  Pasha.  During  the  day 
we  talked  over  the  need  of  giving  a  dinner  to  the  Diplo- 


WORK  AT  THE  AGENCY  85 

malic  Corps  and  their  wives,  and  concluded  it  should  be 
given  before  we  left  Shepheard's.  Have  fixed  the  day  as 
the  21st  or  22d  of  this  month.  In  the  evening  remained 
in  our  rooms  reading  the  "New  York  (Paris)  Herald'* 
and  "New  York  Tribune."  To  bed  by  eleven.  Louise  has 
been  very  well  all  the  past  week. 

December  13  —  Monday.  Early  at  the  Agency.  Work- 
men making  good  progress,  with  fine  prospects  that  every- 
thing will  be  finished  by  the  early  part  of  next  week.  Mr. 
Lathrop  and  Mr.  Bird  called.  Prepared  a  paper  for  Mr. 
West,  of  the  American  College  at  Beirut,  for  endorse- 
ment on  the  diplomas  of  that  institution.  At  Agency 
again  in  the  afternoon  and  until  nearly  five  o'clock,  kept 
by  a  Mr.  Hayes,  who  talked  most  interestingly  for  about 
two  hours.  He  used  to  be  a  school  teacher,  originally  from 
Connecticut,  last  from  New  York,  now  traveling  around 
the  world. 

In  the  evening  to  the  opera  "Pagliacci."  Home  by 
11.15.  Dance  at  the  hotel,  not  a  success.  We  did  not  go 
into  the  ballroom,  having  already  had  enough  of  dancing 
by  the  ballet  girls  at  the  opera  house! 

December  14  —  Tuesday.  Early  at  the  Agency,  —  this 
seems  to  become  a  stereotype  phrase  now,  —  reaching  it 
before  Watts  or  my  secretary.  Workmen  making  good 
progress,  though  the  dirt  and  dust  and  hammering  are 
most  annoying.  I  left  early  in  the  day  to  hunt  up  the 
painter,  who,  for  some  reason,  has  withdrawn  his  men; 
and  to  find  a  tin-kitchen  and  clock  movement  for  roasting 
fowls.  Found  what  the  chef  has  asked  for;  the  same  thing 
I  have  at  home  —  which  I  never  could  get  a  cook  to  use 


86  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

—  and  have  had  to  pay  twelve  dollars  for  it !  Back  to  the 
Agency  in  the  afternoon  —  remained  until  4  P.M.,  when  I 
left  to  go  with  Louise  to  the  Countess  Montjoie,  who  wrote 
requesting  me  to  call  in  a  matter  of  great  importance  to 
herself  and  husband. 

We  found  her  laboring  under  great  excitement.  It  ap- 
pears that  some  time  ago  she  told  Louise  that  the  wife 
of  Brewster  Bey,  the  private  secretary  of  the  Khedive, 
had  dined  with  Princess  de  Ghimay — the  Miss  Ward,  a 
notorious  American  woman  who  had  left  her  husband, 
Prince  de  Chimay,  and  her  two  children,  to  become  the 
mistress  of  Rigo,  the  Hungarian  violinist,  and  who  had 
one  of  Shepheard's  apartments  opposite  the  hotel.  The 
dinner  was  said  to  have  been  taken  in  the  grill  room  of 
the  hotel,  a  most  public  place,  and  that,  in  addition  to  the 
Princess  and  Mrs.  Brewster,  Prince  Ibrahim,  Brewster 
Bey,  and  Rigo  were  present.  Louise  declared  she  did  not 
believe  the  story;  but  the  Countess  insisted  that  it  was 
true;  her  informant  —  who  afterwards  turned  out  to  be 
one  of  the  servants,  who  doubtless  told  the  Count,  the 
latter  being  connected  with  the  detective  force  of  the  po- 
lice and  claimed  by  Brewster  Bey  to  be  "a  spy  of  Lord 
Cromer"  —  she  said  was  most  reliable  and  there  could  be 
no  doubt  of  it.  Unfortunately,  Louise  mentioned  what 
had  been  said  to  her  to  my  secretary,  who  verified  it  suf- 
ficiently —  in  his  own  opinion  —  to  say  that  it  was  so 
before  Louise  and  the  Countess,  although  afterwards,  in 
talking  to  me  on  the  subject,  when  I  had  said  that  I  did 
not  believe  it,  he  admitted  that,  although  he  had  looked 
into  the  room,  he  was  unable  to  see  Mrs.  Brewster,  and 
that,  at  ten  o'clock,  the  party,  without  Mrs.  Brewster, 
came  away. 


AN  UNPLEASANT  EPISODE  87 

Nevertheless,  unable  to  restrain  himself,  Latin  and 
gossip-like,  he  had  to  tell  Brewster  Bey  what  Countess 
de  Montjoie  had  said.  Of  course,  Brewster  was  furious. 
His  inclination  was  to  hold  the  husband  responsible  — 
by  duel  or  what-not.  But  having  consulted  the  Khedive, 
he  called  in  a  lawyer,  who  has  requested  Count  Mont- 
joie to  write  Brewster  a  letter  (of  which  Brewster  had 
first  dictated  the  wording)  apologizing  for  his  wife.  It 
was  about  writing  this  letter  that  the  Countess  wished 
to  see  me.  It  was  gall  and  wormwood  to  her  that  her 
husband  should  do  so;  but  the  alternative  —  being  sued 
for  libel  and  taken  into  court  —  was  worse.  I  advised  her 
to  admit  her  wrong — as  Mrs.  Brewster  had  not  been 
at  the  dinner,  nor  had  ever  been  out  with  the  Princess, 
nor  even  had  met  her  —  and  to  beg  her  husband  to  give 
Brewster  the  satisfaction  he  demanded.  When  I  left  her, 
she,  half  crazy  with  mortification,  agreed  that  it  was  best 
and  said  that  her  husband  would  send  the  letter. 

Thus  ended  the  unpleasant  episode  for  the  time;  but 
whether  that  is  the  finality,  nous  verrons. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Lathrop,  of  California,  sat  with  us, 
and  afterwards  with  me  until  after  eleven  o'clock.  I  was 
sorry  to  have  to  tell  him  that  the  Sirdar,  whom  I  saw  in 
the  morning  on  the  subject,  declined  to  permit  him  to 
accompany  the  forces  to  Berber.  I  had  an  interview  first 
with  Lord  Cromer  on  the  subject  and  he  was  willing,  giv- 
ing me  a  note  to  General  Kitchener.  I  judge  from  what 
the  Sirdar  said,  that  he  would  be  absent  about  three  or 
four  months;  that  the  road  would  be  open  to  Lathrop 
next  year,  or  that  I  had  his  promise  that  Lathrop  should 
go  up  next  year;  and  from  the  fact  that  the  veterinary 
who  has  been  attending  my  mare  told  Jack  that  he  would 


88  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

be  absent  a  few  days  to  buy  one  thousand  camels  for  the 
army,  I  opine  that  an  advance  is  to  be  made  on  Khartum, 
and  that  the  campaign  is  to  be  with  the  object  of  retak- 
ing that  town  and  ending  the  power  of  the  Califat  in  the 
Sudan.1 

December  15  —  Wednesday.  Early  at  the  Agency. 
About  10.15,  having  sent  Andrass  in  advance  to  announce 
my  coming,  I  drove,  with  Jack,  the  bicycle  wagon  and 
the  Arabs,  to  visit  Prince  Mehemet  Ali.  The  great  gates 
of  the  garden  court  were  thrown  open  and  I  drove  to  the 
palace  perron,  that  led  to  a  broad  landing.  The  palace 
doors  were  open  upon  a  noble  hall  from  which  the  grand 
stairway  circled  with  wide  and  easy  treads.  The  outside 
steps,  or  perron,  as  well  as  the  hall  floor  and  stairway, 
were  of  white  marble.  Immediately  to  the  left,  as  I  could 
see  through  an  open  door,  was  the  dining-room;  just  oppo- 
site, on  the  right-hand  side,  was  a  smoking-room;  and 
back  of  that,  the  grand  salon.  Into  this  I  was  shown  and 
there  I  waited  for  about  fifteen  minutes,  when  I  rose  and 
departed,  leaving  my  card  and  expressing  regret  not  to 
have  seen  the  Prince. 

It  appears  that  he  was  not  at  home  when  Andrass  came 
to  announce  my  coming;  but  his  major-domo  reported 
that  he  had  gone  out  and  had  said  on  going  he  would  be 
absent  only  a  short  time;  if  any  one  came,  to  invite  him 
to  wait,  so  it  was  that  I  was  admitted.  As  soon  as  I 
entered  the  palace,  servants  were  dispatched  in  all  direc- 
tions to  find  the  Prince  and  announce  to  him  my  presence; 
but  up  to  the  time  I  left,  he  had  not  been  found. 

I  returned  to  the  Agency,  where  I  gathered  together 

1  This  eventually  proved  to  be  the  fact.  (EDITOR.) 


JUDGE  BATCHELLER'S  APPOINTMENT     89 

the  papers  that  had  been  sent  to  me  from  the  Sublime 
Porte,  through  Mr.  Angell,  the  United  States  Minister 
at  Constantinople,  the  Sultan's  Firman,  the  Berat,  and 
my  commission  from  the  President.  These,  with  Jack 
and  the  Arabs,  Andrass  going  ahead  to  announce  my  com- 
ing, I  took  to  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  to  learn 
what  I  was  to  do  with  them. 

Boutros  Pasha  received  me  most  cordially,  a  cup  of 
coffee  and  the  inevitable  cigarette  included  in  his  greet- 
ing, and  he  told  me  to  write  him  a  letter  enclosing  the 
papers  and  asking  when  His  Highness,  the  Khedive, 
would  receive  me  to  present  them;  also  to  enclose  a  copy 
of  the  remarks  I  proposed  to  make  to  him  at  the  time! 
After  my  return  to  the  Agency,  I  wrote  the  required  let- 
ter and,  of  course,  had  my  little  speech  printed  off  on  the 
typewriter  by  Mr.  Watts,  enclosed  them  with  the  "pa- 
pers," and  dispatched  them  to  Boutros.  I  received  a  com- 
munication from  him  enclosing  one  from  the  Minister  of 
Justice,  which  gave  official  notice  of  Judge  Batcheller's 
appointment  and  assignment  to  the  Mixed  Court  at  Cairo, 
as  well  as  enclosing  his  commission  from  the  Khedive,  with 
a  separate  letter  from  the  Minister  telling  him  of  his  duties, 
the  term  and  rate  of  pay,  etc.  These  documents  I  sent  to 
the  Department  of  State  at  Washington. 

I  had  a  visit  from  Mr.  Peck,  of  Chicago,  evidently  a 
man  of  good  life.  He  is  stopping  at  Shepheard's  with  his 
wife.  Taking  it  all  and  all,  to-day  has  been  a  very  busy 
and  interesting  one. 

Louise  drove  out  to  see  the  Princess  Fuad  to  thank 
her  for  the  present  of  the  diamond-set  coffee-cups  and 
holders  that  she  had  sent  to  her.  Remained  indoors  all 
the  evening. 


90  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

December  16  —  Thursday.  I  forgot  to  say  that  yester- 
day afternoon  were  held  the  races,  and  the  fact  that  I 
did  not  go  is  a  pretty  good  indication  of  how  little  now  I 
think  of  horses  or  care  for  that  kind  of  sport.  I  hear  that 
"all  the  world  and  his  wife"  were  there,  especially  the 
English.  At  the  Agency  this  morning  I  finished  my  dis- 
patch to  Washington  on  the  advancing  of  the  Egyptian 
Army  on  Khartum  and  handed  it  to  Mr.  Watts  to  write 
out.  Mr.  Kosher,  the  agent  of  the  American  Exploration 
Society,  called  and  took  a  good  deal  of  my  time.  If  he 
can't  dig  any  faster  than  he  can  marshal  his  ideas  to  speak, 
he  will  not  make  notable  progress. 

In  the  afternoon  at  the  Agency;  afterwards  took  a  four 
o'clock  drive  out  with  Louise  towards  the  Pyramids. 
Dined  at  the  hotel  and  after  dinner  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Oothout,  of  New  York;  Mr.  Tooker,  a  widower,  owner  of 
a  beautiful  place  in  Newport  which  he  has  not  used  since 
the  death  of  his  wife,  five  years  ago,  a  house  in  New  York, 
and  one  in  Paris,  a  quiet,  pleasant  gentleman;  and  Mr. 
Barbour  Lathrop;  we  sat  in  our  usual  corner  of  the  hall  — 
I  with  my  overcoat  and  hat,  it  was  so  cold  and  draughty 
—  and  passed  a  charming  evening.  Lathrop  was  espe- 
cially entertaining,  told  good  stories  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
notably  one  of  the  baptism  of  a  German  baby  on  the 
prairies:  One  wild  night,  when  overtaken  by  a  storm, 
while  traveling  "on  circuit,"  Mr.  Lincoln  took  shelter  in 
a  cabin  in  which  lived  only  a  German,  his  wife,  and  a  five- 
weeks-old  baby,  who  was  sick  and  whom  the  mother 
wished  baptized.  The  father  baptized  it  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Devil ! ! 

Another  story  he  told  was  of  T.  P.  O'Connor  and  the 
phonograph.  He  spoke  into  it  what  he  was  proud  to  feel 


DINNER  WITH  BOUTROS  PASHA  91 

was  pure  Anglo-Saxon  without  any  brogue  and  it  replied 
as  if  the  voice  came  from  Galway  ! !  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ooth- 
out,  too,  are  very,  very  bright.  Altogether  we  had  a  very 
pleasant  evening. 

December  17  —  Friday.  Early  at  the  Agency,  where  I 
finished  my  dispatches  to  Washington  and  gave  some 
time  to  carpenters,  painters,  and  upholsterers.  Lunched 
with  Mr.  Lathrop  in  the  grill  room.  We  all  liked  the 
change,  especially  Louise,  from  table  d'hote,  to  a  plain 
filet,  with  baked  potatoes  and  grilled  tomatoes,  followed 
by  broiled  spring  chicken,  as  good  as  any  one  could  get 
at  home.  Louise  and  I  drank  claret  and  soda  water;  while 
Lathrop  took  Bass's  ale.  Lathrop  was  very  entertaining; 
full  of  anecdotes  and  accounts  of  his  travels  during  the 
past  thirty  years. 

In  the  afternoon  again  at  the  Agency  until  four  o'clock; 
nothing  especial  to  note.  In  the  evening  Louise  and  I 
went  to  the  dinner  given  by  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  the 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  to  Count  Metternich,  the 
night  before  his  departure  for  Germany.  The  palace  is 
not  so  rich  nor  so  large  as  one  might  have  expected  from 
the  position  held  by  the  Pasha,  but  still  is  very  notable 
for  its  size  and  decorations.  We  took  our  wraps  off  in  the 
hall  —  both  ladies  and  gentlemen  —  and  were  met  there 
by  the  host;  afterwards  shown  by  him  into  the  drawing- 
room,  a  handsomely  furnished  apartment,  large  and  with 
all  the  appearances  of  one  of  our  own  salons. 

We  found  all  of  the  guests  assembled,  among  them  Lord 
and  Lady  Cromer;  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  the  Prime 
Minister;  the  Persian  Minister;  Sir  Elwin  and  Lady 
Palmer;  Sir  William  and  Lady  Garstin;  Countess  de  Land- 


92  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

berg;  Fakhri  Pasha  and  another  member  of  the  Khedive's 
Council;  Count  Salis,  of  the  English  Agency,  Count,  or 
Baron,  Oppenheim,  and  the  guest  of  honor,  Count  Met- 
ternich,  both  of  the  German  Legation. 

Louise  was  taken  in  by  Lord  Cromer,  and  sat  on  the 
left  of  Metternich;  on  his  right,  de  Landberg,  on  my  left 
sat  Count  Salis.  The  dinner  was  in  the  best  European 
style;  but  I  did  not  find  any  of  the  wines  fine,  excepting 
the  sherry,  which  was  very  delicate.  The  champagne  was 
flat. 

"On  voit  le  de"faut  du  voisin, 
Mais  on  n'aperc,oit  pas  le  sien." 

The  above  "secret  paper"  was  drawn  from  a  pulling 
bonbon  by  Louise  and  Lord  Cromer.  He  was  gallant 
enough,  referring  to  her,  to  say  that  he  did  not  agree  with 
the  first  line! 

The  dinner  broke  up  early;  at  least,  the  guests  after 
dinner  did  not  remain  long  in  the  drawing-room,  almost 
all  of  them  having  an  engagement  at  the  Fernandinos' 
evening  musicale.  Louise  and  I,  not  knowing  them,  were 
glad  to  get  back  to  Shepheard's  and  to  have  at  least  a 
part  of  the  evening  to  ourselves. 

December  18 — 'Saturday.  First  to  look  for  sofas  and 
chairs  of  comfortable  character  for  the  house  and  then 
to  the  Agency,  where  I  remained  until  12.30.  Louise  called 
for  me  about  four  o'clock  when  we  drove  about  Ghezireh, 
and  afterwards  made  a  very  pleasant  visit  to  Baron- 
ess Malortie,  and  I  to  the  Baron.1  The  latter  was  with 

1  Baron  Malortie  was  in  Mexico  in  the  Austrian  Legion.  He  was  regarded 
there,  by  society  and  by  the  French,?as  a  suspicious  person  in  the  employment 
of  Prince  Bismarck.  This  was  in  1866,  before  his  marriage.  He  was  very  tall, 
very  blond,  and  rather  slender.  He  was  brought  to  call  on  prominent  people 


Boutros  Pasha  Ghali 


CALL  ON  THE  MALORTIES  93 

Maximilian  in  Mexico  and  it  is  curious  that  there  are 
two  others  here  who  were  also  with  that  Prince  Adven- 
turer, namely,  Count  della  Sala  l  and  Thurneyssen  Bey. 
The  Malorties*  house  is  large  and  exquisitely  furnished, 
with  perfect  taste,  and  is  abundantly  filled  with  objects 
of  art  of  all  sorts.  The  Baroness,  who  was  just  getting 

by  Count  Herberstein,  a  splendid  soldier,  who  also  was  in  the  Austrian  Legion, 
and  had  made  himself  popular.  The  latter  was  killed  in  Mexico  under  tragic 
circumstances.  (EDITOR.) 

1  In  his  youth,  Count  della  Sala  with  his  brother  enlisted  in  the  Austrian 
Legion  recruited  for  Maximilian  for  service  in  Mexico.  It  so  happened  that 
he  was  the  hero  of  an  incident  which  came  near  to  creating  a  serious  break 
between  the  Franco-Austrian  allies,  who  were  none  too  friendly  at  the  time. 
One  must  remember  that  this  was  in  1865,  when  the  war  between  France  and 
Austria  had  only  been  over  some  five  years. 

As  told  by  Count  della  Sala  himself,  in  1898,  when  in  Cairo,  the  affair 
happened  as  follows :  One  morning  a  party  of  Austrians,  he  among  the  number, 
entered  the  Hotel  de  las  Diligencias  in  Puebla.  Some  Frenchmen  were  present. 
One  of  these  a  sergeant,  taking  umbrage  at  the  Count's  manner,  which  prob- 
ably was  somewhat  arrogant,  became  surly,  and  in  the  course  of  some  un- 
pleasant remarks  called  him  "animal."  Whereupon  the  young  Austrian 
slapped  him  in  the  face.  [Others  interfered,  and  the  Frenchman  left  the  room. 
The  Count  thought  the  trouble  was  over.  But  presently  the  Frenchman 
returned,  holding  in  his  hand  a  revolver.  He  walked  up  threateningly  toward 
the  Count,  who,  anticipating  the  attack,  sprang  upon  him  and,  holding  his 
arm,  made  the  weapon  useless.  The  sergeant,  bent  upon  avenging  the  affront 
he  had  received,  struck  at  the  Count  with  his  free  hand.  Whether  he  wore 
brass  knuckles,  as  the  Count  believed,  —  but  which  are  not  a  common  mode  of 
defense  among  the  French,  —  or  whether  he  wore  a  heavy  ring,  the  result  of 
the  blow  was  an  ugly  gash  over  the  eye.  Meantime  the  Count's  companions 
kept  watch  at  the  door  to  prevent  interference  from  the  outside  and  to  see  fair 
play.  The  bystanders  had  fled.  Blood  was  streaming  down  the  Count's  face, 
almost  blinding  him.  The  sergeant  struck  at  him  again,  when  the  Count  drew 
his  sword  and  ran  him  through  the  body.  After  this  there  was  no  suppressing 
the  affair,  which  caused  a  profound  sensation  in  Mexico,  and  did  much  to  in- 
crease the  animosity  already  existing  between  the  French  and  the  Austrian 
forces. 

The  first  reports  which  reached  the  capital  greatly  magnified  the  incident, 
and  it  was  spoken  of  as  a  riot.  On  both  sides  the  real  bitterness  of  the  feeling, 
so  long  suppressed,  blazed  forth  for  a  time  undisguised.  Indeed,  it  was  only  in 
1898,  having  met  Count  della  Sala  in  Cairo,  where  he  had  entered  the  service 
of  the  Khedive,  when  he  narrated  his  version  of  the  affair,  that  I  understood  its 
true  proportions.  He  still  bore  the  scar  of  the  Frenchman's  blow  on  his  fore- 
head. Since  we  both  were  in  Mexico,  Count  della  Sala  had  married  the  Russian 
Princess  Gagarine.  She  was  a  power  in  Cairo,  and  it  was  said  that  she  occupied 
a  privileged  and  quite  confidential  place  in  the  Khedivial  family.  (EDITOK.) 


94  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

over  a  ten  days'  illness  from  a  cold,  received  us  in  a  pretty 
morning  room,  the  coloring  of  the  hangings  and  uphol- 
stery of  which  was  sky-blue.  The  furniture  was  enameled 
white,  and  the  forms  pure  Louis  XV  style.  The  walls  of 
the  room  were  a  creamy  tone  with  a  suspicion  of  blue 
pattern  throughout.  The  floor  was  covered  with  a  solid, 
rather  dark  blue  filling  carpet,  and  the  whole  apartment 
was  made  homelike  by  the  quantities  of  bric-a-brac,  and 
useful  things  as  well,  that  were  on  all  sides. 

The  Baron  was  in  another  part  of  the  house  —  in  his 
library;  and  as  we  entered,  was  reading  a  magazine  by 
the  light  of  what  seemed  to  be  a  student's  lamp.  Brew- 
ster  Bey,  who  was  with  the  Baroness  when  we  entered, 
showed  me  the  way  to  the  Baron,  and  outstayed  me  with 
him. 

After  dinner  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oothout,  Mr.  Lathrop  and 
Mr.  Tooker,  with  Louise  and  me,  sat  in  our  corner  in  the 
hall,  where  we  passed  a  delightful  evening.  I  was  induced 
to  repeat  some  of  my  old  stories,  notably  "The  Howling 
Wilderness,"  "Damon  and  Pythias,"  and  "Just  as  good 
on  fish  as  on  birds." 

Lathrop  told  a  capital  story  on  Chauncey  M.  Depew 
and  General  Horace  Porter.  It  appears  that  those  two 
gentlemen,  with  another  American  of  position,  but  whose 
name  he  had  forgotten,  were  in  London  together,  and 
were  invited  to  some  great  dinner,  during  which,  when 
the  cigars  had  been  brought,  both  Depew  and  Porter  were 
called  upon  for  speeches  and  both  spoke  well,  eloquently, 
and  were  greatly  applauded. 

After  they  had  spoken,  to  the  surprise  and  horror  of 
the  other  American,  his  name  was  mentioned  in  a  very 
complimentary  manner  by  the  chairman,  and  he  was 


AN  AFTER-DINNER  SPEECH  95 

compelled  to  respond.  He  had  made  no  preparation  and, 
besides,  even  had  he  done  so,  to  speak  after  two  such  re- 
nowned after-dinner  orators  as  Depew  and  Porter  would 
have  been  embarrassing  to  almost  any  one.  But  he  rose 
to  the  occasion.  "Mr.  Chairman,"  he  said,  "I  confess 
I  am  somewhat  at  a  loss,  after  thanking  you  for  the  com- 
plimentary words  with  which  you  have  associated  my 
name  and  for  the  honor  of  addressing  this  body  of  dis- 
tinguished gentlemen,  how  best  to  answer  to  the  toast. 
Perhaps,  however,  frankness,  after  all,  is  what  is  due  to 
you  and  most  properly  will  explain  any  shortcoming  on 
my  part,  which,  of  course,  would  be  apparent  to  you.  I 
had  the  pleasure  and  good  fortune  to  cross  the  Atlantic 
with  General  Porter  and  Mr.  Depew,  and  having  known 
them  for  years,  we  were  much  together  and  increased  our 
intimacy,  to  my  very  great  satisfaction.  One  day,  refer- 
ring to  this  dinner,  to  which  we  had  been  courteously  in- 
vited before  we  left  New  York,  we  talked  of  the  remarks 
that  we  might  be  called  upon  to  make  to-night,  when  it 
was  agreed  that  we  should  each  write  out  what  he  pro- 
posed to  say  and  submit  the  paper  to  his  companions, 
in  order  that  neither  might  speak  on  the  same  subject. 
This  I  did,  in  good  faith.  Imagine  my  astonishment, 
when  Mr.  Depew  arose  and  spoke,  to  hear  him  repeat  my 
speech;  and  when  General  Porter  followed,  to  listen  to 
the  remarks  that  Mr.  Depew  had  written  out.  Nothing 
has  been  left  to  me,  for  I  will  not  inflict  upon  you  what 
General  Porter  truly  thought  not  good  enough  to  use  of 
his  own  preparation  and  which  is  all  that  has  been  left 
to  me  to  say." 

Lathrop  said  that,  at  first,  as  the  gentleman  sat  down, 
there  were  murmurs  of  disapproval,  the  company  largely 


96  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

believing  that  Depew  and  Porter  had  done  just  as  was 
reported;  but  in  a  few  moments  the  truth  dawned  upon 
them  that  the  witty  and  clever  American  had  invented 
the  story  to  excuse  his  own  shortcoming;  and  then  the 
roars  of  laughter,  already  started  by  Depew  and  Porter, 
echoed  throughout  the  hall. 

Lathrop  told  another  good  story,  of  a  sick  horse;  the 
calling  in  of  a  veterinary;  of  his  advice  that  a  powder 
should  be  given  the  next  morning,  and  of  the  directions 
that  were  given  to  the  colored  coachman  by  the  "vet" 
and  "Massa  Frank"  to  administer  it  through  a  hose-pipe, 
first  unscrewed  from  the  hose,  in  which  a  powder  was  to 
be  put;  a  twitch  on  the  horse's  nose;  the  pipe  inserted 
well  into  the  mouth,  and  then  a  strong  blow  into  the  pipe 
by  the  darkey,  so  that  the  powder  would  be  well  blown 
down  into  the  throat  of  the  horse.  The  next  morning,  the 
master,  "Massa  Frank,"  went  down  to  the  stable  and 
found  Pompey  looking  rather  glum;  asking  the  reason, 
he  was  told,  after  a  long  rigmarole  of  darkey  talk,  that 
Sambo  put  the  powder  in  the  pipe,  twitched  the  horse's 
nose,  and  inserted  the  pipe  well  into  the  horse's  mouth  — 
but  that  the  horse  "blowed  fust,"  with  very  unpleasant 
results  to  Pompey's  mouth,  nose  and  eyes!  We  did  not 
separate  until  nearly  11.30.  Louise,  with  pardonable  con- 
sideration, thought  that  my  old  threadbare  stories  had 
been  furbished  and  brushed  up  and  almost  appeared  like 
new  ! !  Anyhow,  they  were  so  to  the  listeners,  a  new  audi- 
ence, who  appreciatively  laughed  and  laughed. 

To-day  came  from  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  the 
official  notification  of  my  reception  by  the  Khedive  in 
"solemn  audience"  on  Thursday,  23d  inst.,  at  10  A.M. 
I  really  wish  the  ceremonies  were  over.  I  have  heard  a 


CHURCH  97 

good  deal  of  what  takes  place  at  the  time,  from  the  hour 
the  gala  or  state  carriage  calls  for  one  to  his  return  to  the 
Legation;  but,  as  I  shall  record  my  own  experiences  after 
the  day,  I  will  not  anticipate  in  any  respect. 

December  19  — Sunday.  Went  to  All  Saints'  Church 
this  morning  with  Louise.  The  reading  from  the  desk 
was  monotonous  and  affected.  The  singing  simple,  neither 
good  nor  bad,  and  the  sermon  —  full  of  advice  well  to 
follow  —  was  made  up  of  a  good  deal  of  twaddle.  In  the 
afternoon  we  expected  to  drive  and  had  Fero  at  the  hotel, 
but  it  began  to  rain  just  as  we  were  about  to  start  and 
we  feared  to  risk  it,  though  but  little  rain  fell  and  we 
might  just  as  well  have  gone.  Dined  at  the  hotel,  and  in 
the  evening  sat  in  our  corner  with  the  same  party  as  last 
night  excepting  that  Mr.  Tooker  was  replaced  by  the 
First  Secretary  of  the  German  Legation,  who  talked  with 
Louise. 

December  20  —  Monday.  First  to  Cook's  to  see  what 
arrangement  could  be  made  by  which  Watts,  to  whom 
I  have  given  permission  to  take  the  trip  to  Assouan,  could 
cut  down  the  number  of  days.  I  found  that,  by  leaving 
Cairo  by  rail,  after  the  boat  had  gone,  he  might  join  it  at 
Assiut,  and  in  that  way,  be  absent  from  the  office  only 
fourteen  days  instead  of  twenty.  He  will  go  up  on  the 
4th  of  January,  on  which  day  and  by  the  same  boat  W.  W. 
Justice  l  and  his  party  and  Mr.  Bradlee  and  son  also  will 
go.  This  will  add  to  the  pleasure  of  all.  I  hope  I  shall  not 
be  pushed  during  Watts's  absence. 

At  the  Agency,  I  had  several  visitors,  but  mostly  on 

1  The  late  William  W.  Justice,  of  Philadelphia.  (EDITOR.) 


98  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

business  for  their  passports,  as  to-morrow  the  steamer 
sails  for  Jaffa.  Mr.  looker  made  himself  at  home,  much 
to  my  satisfaction,  and  the  familiar  face  of  "Clem"  Bid- 
die,  from  Philadelphia,  took  me  back  to  old  Centennial 
days.  I  sent  Watts  to  see  Hassan  Assam,  the  Grand  Mas- 
ter of  Ceremonies,  about  the  audience  of  Thursday,  and, 
at  his  suggestion,  wrote  asking  that  the  rule  that  required 
a  presentation  first  be  unobserved,  so  far  as  my  secretary 
was  concerned. 

I  made  a  short  call  upon  Lord  Cromer,  as  Dean,  to  get 
information  respecting  the  precedence  due  to  the  several 
guests  at  my  dinner  on  the  23d. 

In  the  afternoon  at  the  Agency  until  four  o'clock,  when 
I  returned  to  Shepheard's  to  meet  Louise  and  attend  a 
"tea"  there  given  by  Djafer  Fakhri,  the  son  of  Fakhri 
Pasha.  It  was  to  have  been  in  the  beautiful  gardens  of 
the  hotel;  but  as  bad  luck  would  have  it,  one  of  the  mar- 
velously  few  days  of  rain  had  to  be  to-day,  and,  to  the 
disappointment  of  every  one,  it  became  necessary  to  re- 
ceive the  company  in  the  large  room  next  the  dining- 
room,  which  led  out  into  the  garden.  There,  however, 
rugs  had  been  spread  to  cover  the  walks  and  every  prep- 
aration was  made  to  enjoy  the  open  air,  in  case  it  should 
clear  off.  But  it  continued  at  intervals  to  drizzle,  the  sun 
making  its  appearance  only  long  enough  to  be  aggravat- 
ingly  tantalizing.  Djafer  had  only  sent  out  about  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  invitations,  and,  judging  from  the  fullness 
of  the  room,  there  were  present  a  generous  majority  of 
that  number.  Lord  Cromer,  Tugini,  and  I  were,  as  far  as 
I  could  see,  the  only  Diplomatic  Agents  present.  I  talked 
with  Lady  Grenfell,  Mme.  Maskins,  and  Lady  Palmer, 
the  Countess  Montjoie,  and  one  or  two  others  only. 


REHEARSING  FOR  THE  PRESENTATION    99 

Louise  having  an  after  engagement,  we  did  not  remain 
over  a  half-hour.  A;  note  was  written  by  Louise,  who 
always  does  the  right  thing  socially,  to  Mrs.  William  Wal- 
lace, regretting  that  we  should  not  be  at  her  tea  this  after- 
noon on  account  of  the  weather.  In  the  evening  we  went 
to  the  opera.  It  was  "Tannhauser,"  and  we  listened  to  its 
divine  music  with  the  greatest  pleasure.  "  Will "  Justice  and 
his  wife  were  our  guests  in  our  loge.  Home  by  midnight. 

December  21--  Tuesday.  At  the  Agency  early.  At- 
tended to  hanging  pictures  and  to  getting  a  couple  of 
rooms  in  order  for  the  reception  of  the  Grand  Master  of 
Ceremonies  on  Thursday  morning.  Moved  into  my  room 
and  had  steam  and  hot-water  heater  started,  which  made 
the'house  very  comfortable. 

The  following  slip,  cut  from  the  "Egyptian  Gazette," 
appeared  to-day: 

AGENCE   DIPLOMATIQUE  DES  fiTATS-UNIS 

M.  le  Colonel  Harrison,  le  nouvel  agent  diplomatique  des 
fitats-Unis,  presentera  ses  lettres  de  creance  jeudi  prochain  & 
10  heures  et  demie  du  matin. 

Cette  ceremonie  aura  lieu  en  grande  pompe.  Des  voitures  de 
la  Cour  iront  prendre  le  nouvel  agent  diplomatique  a  sa  residence 
pour  le  transporter  au  palais  d'Abdin.  Pendant  la  reception,  les 
salves  reglementaires  seront  tirees. 

With  the  audience  in  mind,  I  tried  on  my  old  naval 
uniform,  buckled  on  my  sword,  and  rehearsed  my  Thurs- 
day's play,  much  to  the  amusement  of  Louise.  Back  to 
the  Agency  in  the  afternoon,  until  about  4.30,  when  my 
secretary  and  I  walked  to  the  stove  man  to  fight  out  a 
countermand  of  a  ridiculous  order  given  by  the  chef  for 
a  heating  apparatus  big  enough  for  Shepheard's  Hotel, 


100  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and  were  only  partly  successful,  having  to  take  a  part, 
but  fortunately  the  least  part. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  Sir  Francis  and 
Lady  GrenfelPs  "at  home,"  about  10.15,  and  had  an 
exciting  experience,  the  Arabs  running  away  and  only 
being  checked  after  great  difficulty  by  the  combined 
efforts  of  Jack  and  Andrass.  The  little  beggars  have  not 
had  enough  work  continuously;  they  are  better  fed  than 
they  are  used  to  being,  and  the  night  being  a  little  cold, 
they  were  chilled  and  "felt  good"!  The  bridles  were 
without  checks  and  the  curb  chains  were  not  on  the  bits, 
so  that  when  they  put  their  heads  down  they  were  un- 
controllable. They  were  stopped  and  we  got  out  near 
th'e  Hotel  d'Angleterre  and  walked  to  Grenf ell's,  about 
two  blocks.  Louise  behaved  splendidly,  but  naturally 
was  quite  unstrung,  and  feels  as  if  she  never  would  drive 
with  Jack  again.  We  had  a  pleasant  evening;  the  house 
is  large,  but  badly  cut  up  (there  being  no  large  room); 
it  is,  however,  beautifully  and  interestingly  furnished. 

December  22  —  Wednesday.  Below  is  the  notice  from 
the  "Egyptian  Gazette"  of  to-morrow's  presentation,  or 
rather  the  notice  of  the  dinner  that  I  give  to  the  Diplo- 
matic Corps  in  the  evening  after  the  presentation: 

AGENCE  DIPLOMATIQUE  DES  fiTATS-UNIS 

Le  Colonel  et  Madame  T.  S.  Harrison  donneront  leur  premier 
diner  jeudi  prochain  23  courant  aux  agents  diplomatiques  et  a 
quelques  hauts  fonctionnaires  de  1'fitat.  * 

Le  Colonel  et  Mme.  T.  S.  Harrison  n'etant  pas  encore  installes, 
le  diner  aura  lieu  dans  des  appartements  reserves  du  Shepheard's 
H6tel. 


AN  UNPLEASANT  EXPERIENCE  101 

I  wish  both  affairs  were  over.  To  the  Agency  early, 
and  there  had  quite  an  unpleasant  experience  with  Mr. 
Touhey,  who  had  refused  to  accede  to  Mr.  Watts's  re- 
quest to  go  into  his  room,  where  an  American  citizen, 
who  had  been  assaulted  by  a  Greek,  was  making  com- 
plaint and  was  waiting  to  be  identified  by  Touhey,  who 
he  claimed  knew  him.  I  think  I  made  it  plain  to  the  con- 
sular clerk  that  it  would  be  imprudent  on  his  part  to  deny 
Mr.  Watts  again,  giving  him  an  official  order  to  obey  that 
gentleman  as  he  would  me.  There  has  evidently  been  a 
feeling  against  Watts,  on  the  part  of  Touhey,  ever  since 
his  arrival.  Watts  said  it  originated  from  the  papers  of 
the  office  being  in  great  disorder,  he  being  unable  to  find 
anything,  and  asking  Touhey  about  it,  who  could  not 
answer.  I  think  Watts  told  him  it  was  his  duty  to  know, 
and  so  forth.  Since  then  Touhey  has  hardly  recognized 
Watts.  But  Touhey  says  Watts  has  treated  him  as  an 
inferior,  as  dirt  under  his  feet.  The  fact  is,  Touhey  is  a 
little  unbalanced  and  I  wish  the  office  were  rid  of  him. 
At  the  Agency  until  four  o'clock,  when  with  my  secre- 
tary I  made  calls,  a  number  of  cards  having  accumulated. 
This  notice  appeared  in  the  evening  paper  of  to-day: 

Colonel  Harrison,  Diplomatic  Agent  and  Consul-General  for 
the  United  States  of  America,  is  to  be  received  officially  by  His 
Highness  the  Khedive  at  Abdin  Palace  to-morrow  morning. 
The  date  for  the  reception  of  Herr  F.  von  Miiller  is,  we  learned, 
not  yet  fixed. 

I  hope  the  reception  will  go  off  all  right.  Spent  the 
evening  at  the  hotel. 

December  23  —  Thursday.  A  beautiful  day,  bright  sun, 
and  pure,  fresh,  invigorating  air.  I  rose  early,  dressed  in 


102  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

my  suit  of  naval  uniform,  with  epaulets  and  sword,  and 
was  ready  for  Fero,  who  drove  me  to  the  Agency,  whence 
the  cortege  was  to  start,  at  9.15,  my  secretary  accom- 
panying me  in  the  victoria. 

We  had  furnished  and  carpeted,  hung  pictures  and 
made  handsomely  homelike  with  books  and  photographs, 
a  reception  room  on  the  ground  floor  and  were  in  good 
form  to  receive  the  Khedive's  Grand  Master  of  Cere- 
monies, Hassan  Assam  Pasha,  who  arrived  in  the  gorgeous 
state  or  gala  coach  at  9.50.  We  sat  together  in  the  recep- 
tion room  for  about  five  minutes  when  we  started  for 
Abdin  Palace. 

The  coach  was  an  extraordinary  affair,  with  gold  ga- 
lore on  the  outside,  body  and  gear  all  being  brightly 
gilded.  The  interior  or  trimmings  within  and  without 
were  of  light  blue  satin.  A  coachman  and  groom  sat  on 
the  box  and  two  postilions  stood  behind.  The  coach  was 
preceded  and  followed  by  cavalry  —  probably  fifty  or 
sixty  horses  as  escort.  Just  ahead  of  the  coach  ran  four 
sices,  in  their  picturesque  costumes,  and  on  each  side 
rode  a  cavalryman.  The  bugles  sounded,  and  we  started, 
au  pas,  for  the  palace,  where  we  arrived  in  about  fifteen 
minutes,  going  slowly  all  the  way  through  the  streets, 
which  were  lined  on  each  side  with  spectators.  Foot  and 
mounted  police  guarded  the  whole  route  and  kept  the 
people  back  and  the  streets  clear  of  vehicles. 

As  we  drove  into  the  great  square  upon  which  the 
Palace  fronts,  the  band  of  an  Egyptian  regiment,  which 
stood  with  "present  arms"  awaiting  me,  struck  up  "Hail, 
Columbia,"  and  as  I  descended  from  the  coach  and  en- 
tered the  Palace,  the  guns  from  the  citadel  boomed  loudly 
a  "salvo"  of  twenty-one  resounding  guns  upon  the  still, 


THE  SOLEMN  AUDIENCE  103 

dry  air,  which  were  echoed  back  again  and  again  from 
the  near-by  Macadam  Hills,  on  the  slopes  of  which  the 
great  fortress  and  mosque  to  Mehemet  Ali  is  a  command- 
ing picture  from  the  town  below.  Within  the  great  doors 
of  the  Palace,  on  each  side  of  the  hall  leading  to  the  grand 
stairway,  stood  uniformed  and  gold-laced  officials  of 
the  Court,  chamberlains  and  attaches,  who  saluted  as  I 
walked  through  and  by  them  with  Hassan  Assam  Pasha, 
the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies.  We  mounted  the  stair- 
way to  the  floor  above,  —  on  all  sides  gold-laced  officials, 
—  turned  to  the  left,  and  entered  the  spacious  Khedivial 
reception-apartments. 

Passing  through  one  room,  as  we  entered  the  second,  I 
saw  His  Highness  the  Khedive,  surrounded  by  his  Minis- 
ters, beginning  to  approach  the  entrance.  I  continued  to 
advance  and  met  him  about  midway  in  the  room,  where 
he  cordially  grasped  my  hand  and  stood  awaiting  my 
address,  which,  according  to  instructions,  is  essential  in 
the  ceremony.  I  proceeded  to  read  as  follows: 

Monseigneur: 

The  President  has  directed  me  to  convey  to  you  assurance  of  his 
sincere  friendship  and  to  express  to  you  his  wish  that  the  cordial 
relations  that  have  heretofore  so  happily  existed  between  your 
Government  and  that  of  the  United  States  may  long  continue. 
I  take  special  pleasure  in  conveying  these  expressions  of  esteem, 
from  the  fact  that  he  has  selected  one  who  has  already  been  honored 
by  your  friendship,  and  who  has  twice  before  enjoyed  the  hos- 
pitality of  your  land.  As  I  have  said,  I  am  no  stranger  here.  Two 
winters  passed  in  Egypt's  unexampled  climate,  at  an  interval  of 
several  years,  have  given  me  an  opportunity  to  study  the  condi- 
tion of  the  country  and  its  people,  and  to  contrast  the  existing 
with  the  past,  only  to  recognize  the  improvement  on  all  sides,  and 
to  enable  me  to  proclaim  it  in  no  uncertain  manner. 

The  wise  and  beneficent  rule  of  Your  Highness,  justly  directed 
to  increase  the  happiness  and  to  add  to  the  welfare  of  your  subjects, 


104  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

excites  the  attention  and  admiration  of  the  civilized  world.  I  sin- 
cerely pray  that  you  may  enjoy  long  life,  with  health  and  strength, 
that  you  may  continue,  as  you  are  to-day,  the  beloved  of  a  happy 
and  contented  people. 

His  Highness  replied  as  follows: 

Monsieur  1'Agent,  I  am  the  more  pleased  to  greet  you  to-day  as 
Agent  and  Consul-General  of  the  United  States,  as  your  person 
is  already  well  known  to  me. 

The  kindly  sentiments  which  you  have  just  expressed  to  me  on 
behalf  of  the  President  of  the  Republic  and  the  choice  he  has  made 
of  you  to  represent  him  here,  are  to  me  a  sure  guarantee  of  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  sympathetic  interest  which  your  Government  has 
always  been  pleased  to  show  in  Egypt.  I  thank  you,  Monsieur 
1'Agent,  for  the  good  wishes  which  you  express  for  me  and  still  more 
for  your  so  flattering  appreciations  of  all  that  regards  my  people,  to 
the  happiness  of  whom  I  shall  consecrate  more  and  more  of  my 
efforts. 

You  may  count  entirely,  Monsieur  V Agent,  upon  my  support  and 
upon  the  cooperation  of  my  Government  in  the  attainment  of  the 
common  aim,  which  is  to  bind  faster  the  cordial  relations  so  hap- 
pily established  between  Egypt  and  the  great  American  Nation. 

The  remarks  made  by  me  were  listened  to  by  the  Khe- 
dive with  marked  attention  and  emphasized  with  a  smile 
and  inclination  of  the  head  as  each  point  was  slightly 
dwelt  upon  by  me  in  the  reading.  When  I  had  finished, 
His  Highness  unfolded  his  paper,  on  which  was  his  reply, 
and  proceeded  to  read  in  a  clear,  moderately  loud  tone, 
which  could  be  heard  throughout  the  room.  Having  fin- 
ished, he  turned  with  a  smile  to  the  throne  chair,  where 
he  seated  himself  and  pointed  to  a  sofa  on  his  right,  which 
he  requested  me  to  occupy.  While  we  talked,  servants 
brought  long-stemmed  pipes,  the  bowls  of  which,  filled 
and  glowing,  were  placed  about  six  feet  distant  on  small 
silver  plates  upon  the  floor.  The  stems  of  the  pipes  were 
richly  set,  about  the  mouth  of  amber,  with  diamonds,  some 


THE  SOLEMN  AUDIENCE  105 

at  least  a  carat  in  size,  and  were  made  from  the  wood 
of  the  cherry,  the  bark  being  retained  upon  them.  In  a 
few  minutes  coffee  was  served  in  enameled  and  jeweled 
cups,  similar  to  those  given  to  Louise  by  the  Princess 
Fuad,  and  all  the  time  these  things  were  going  on,  the 
Khedive  and  I  kept  up  a  most  cordial  and  friendly  talk. 
He  told  me  of  his  experience  with  the  garden  seeds  that 
I  had  sent  him  and  was  very  interesting  in  his  account  of 
the  experiments.  Altogether  the  audience  lasted  about 
ten  minutes. 

At  last  His  Highness  rose,  and  this  was  a  signal  for  all 
to  do  the  same.  I  should  have  said  that  when  we  sat, 
Watts,  my  secretary,  and  the  Ministers  and  other  offi- 
cials,—  about  fifteen  or  twenty  in  number,  —  sat  too, 
and  to  them,  as  well,  were  handed  pipes  and  coffee.  The 
Khedive  walked  with  me  to  the  door,  shook  hands  with 
me  and  the  secretaries,  —  represented  by  Watts  and  my 
secretary,  as  First  and  Second,  —  and  bowed  us  out,  as 
we  backed  from  his  presence,  not  turning  our  backs  until 
we  were  well  under  the  portal. 

The  same  chamberlains  and  attendants  were  in  waiting 
as  we  returned  to  the  entrance  hall,  where  a  number  were 
presented  to  me,  with  whom  I  and  "suite"  shook  hands. 
As  I  mounted  by  the  let-down  steps  of  the  state  carriage 
to  be  taken  back  to  the  Agency,  the  regimental  band 
again  struck  up  the  inspiring  strains  of  "Hail,  Colum- 
bia." Off  we  started  at  a  trot,  the  squadron  of  cavalry 
preceding  and  following  and  the  sices  running  ahead  at 
full  speed  and  crying,  quite  unnecessarily,  to  clear  the 
way,  already  free  by  reason  of  the  horsemen  in  front. 
The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  again  accompanied  me, 
but  after  entering  the  house,  he  turned  and  took  his  leave. 


106  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

A  few  minutes  afterwards  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  the 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  still  in  his  gold-laced  coat, 
across  which  the  broad  green  ribbon  of  the  Grand  Com- 
mander of  the  Imperial  Order  of  the  Medjidieh,  called 
upon  me.  Cigarettes  and  coffee  were  served,  and  after 
about  a  five  minutes'  stay,  he  left  for  the  Department 
office.  Giving  him  only  time  to  get  there,  I,  with  Watts, 
returned  the  visit,  taking  coffee  (much  better  than  I  gave 
him,  by  the  by!),  and  again  smoking  a  cigarette.  This 
visit  was  of  about  the  same  duration,  and  was  made,  not 
in  the  gala  coach,  but  in  my  own  victoria.  Throughout 
I  wore  my  dress  naval  uniform  and  went  through  the 
streets  without  an  overcoat. 

After  all  these  ceremonies  were  over,  I  returned  to 
Shepheard's,  changed  my  clothes,  and  went  out  with 
Louise  Christmas  shopping.  In  the  afternoon  to  the 
Agency  and  in  the  evening  our  dinner  to  the  Diplomatic 
Corps,  a  partial  description  of  which  I  will  now  attempt. 

It  was  served  in  the  reserved  apartments  of  the  hotel 
—  a  suite  of  four  rooms,  a  reception-room,  a  drawing- 
room,  a  music  room  (which  I  turned  into  a  smoking- 
room),  and  a  dining-room.  The  salon  and  dining-room 
are  fully  fifty  feet  long  and  proportionately  wide.  The 
former  is  furnished  richly  enough,  but  with  a  mixture  of 
Egyptian  and  European  furniture  of  no  period.  The  din- 
ing-room is  furnished  in  the  Venetian-Italian  style  — 
heavy  and  elaborately  carved  pieces;  in  both  the  salon 
and  dining-room  were  living  plants,  but  special  effort  was 
exerted  to  decorate  the  dining-room  both  with  living 
plants  and  cut  flowers.  The  table  was  beautifully  and 
most  tastefully  laid  for  twenty-four  covers.  Garlands  of 
roses,  with  their  stems  and  leaves,  in  the  form  of  a  con- 


DINNER  TO  THE  DIPLOMATIC  CORPS     107 

tinuous  letter  "  S,"  only  sideways,  ran  from  one  end  of  the 
table  to  the  other.  At  each  plate  for  the  ladies  was  a  bou- 
quet of  three  or  four  exquisite 
long-stemmed  roses;  and  each 
man  had  a  tasteful  bouton- 
niere. 

A  better  dinner  I  never  ate.  All  the  dishes  that  should 
have  been  hot,  were  so.  The  turbot  was  an  especial  fea- 
ture; it  is  said  that  such  a  fish  had  only  once  before  been 
served  in  Cairo.  The  lobster  was  an  extraordinary  pro- 
duction of  the  culinary  art,  representing  a  huge  fellow 
drawing  a  chariot.  The  whole  affair,  lobster  and  chariot, 
must  have  been  more  than  three  feet  long.  Another  not- 
able decorative  dish  was  the  fruits  g laces  en  serre,  repre- 
senting a  little  hothouse,  the  glass  of  which  was  ice,  and 
in  the  interior  were  many  fruits  of  ice  cream,  really  a  gem. 
The  wines  were  superb,  especially  the  Mouton  Rothschild, 
Clos  de  Vougeot,  and  the  champagne.  The  table  through- 
out was  most  animated  —  quite  gay  at  times,  which  is 
by  no  means  a  usual  thing  at  semi-official  dinners. 

December  24 — Friday.  At  the  Agency  early  in  the 
morning  and  remained  there  until  eleven  o'clock,  when 
I  left  to  go  shopping  with  Louise.  Bought  some  few 
things,  among  them  a  pretty  hat  for  each  of  the  Brew- 
ster  Bey  little  girls. 

Back  again  to  the  Agency  in  the  afternoon,  where  I 
was  detained  until  six  o'clock,  it  being  mail  day  and  a 
good  deal  of  matter  having  had  to  be  prepared  for  the 
Department. 

Dined  at  the  hotel,  but  in  the  evening  went  with  Louise 
to  the  Countess  of  Landberg,  who  had  a  Christmas  tree 


108  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

gathering.  There  had  been  one  at  Shepheard's  in  the 
afternoon  which  attracted  a  thousand  or  more  people  — 
many  of  whom  were  given  cards  with  numbers  on  them 
that  entitled  them  to  draw  one  of  the  objects  that  hung 
on  the  tree. 

The  tree  of  the  Countess  de  Landberg  was  entirely 
different  from  any  I  have  ever  seen.  It  was  a  fir,  with 
wide-spreading  branches  and  not  of  dense  foliage.  It  had 
the  appearance  of  such  a  tree  after  a  snowstorm  and  a 
thaw.  On  each  branch  —  which  stretched  out  horizon- 
tally —  was  a  covering  of  snow  on  the  upper  side,  and  at 
intervals  upon  each  hung  an  icicle  of  twisted  and  pointed 
glass,  a  perfect  imitation  of  the  original.  The  snow  was 
imitated  by  cotton  on  which  had  been  sprinkled  specks 
of  shining  mica;  and  on  the  branches,  here  and  there, 
whose  lights  were  diamond-like  upon  the  crystal  icicles 
and  sparkling  mica,  were  lighted  candles.  Really,  the 
tree  was  beautifully  dressed  and  its  simple  garb  of  pure 
white,  nothing  but  what  I  have  tried  to  describe  —  no 
glass  and  colored  balls,  no  jim-cracks  of  any  kind. 

We  found  quite  a  company  assembled,  among  them  M. 
and  Mme.  de  Willebois  and  their  two  daughters;  Mrs. 
Dennison,  and  Miss  Franklin,  of  the  United  States,  and 
other  ladies;  Mr.  Manskopf,  of  Frankfort,  Germany, 
whom  Louise  and  I  met  in  1890  at  Hamburg;  de  Rojas, 
the  Spanish  agent,  and  von  Miiller,  the  German  Minister, 
and  some  other  men  who  knew  me,  but  whom  I  did  not 
recognize.  We  remained  until  after  eleven;  light  refresh- 
ments of  Swedish  punch,  lemonade,  sweetmeats,  sand- 
wiches, being  continuously  passed  by  the  servants. 

December  25  —  Saturday  and  Christmas.  A  sorry  Christ- 


CHRISTMAS  109 

mas  so  far  from  home;  but  we  tried  to  make  the  most  of 
it,  exchanging  gifts  and  greetings.  We  received  two  cable- 
grams from  Philadelphia,  one  from  John  and  his  fam- 
ily; one  signed  Harrison-Barnes,1  wishing  us  "A  Merry 
Christmas."  Louise  had  a  profusion  of  flowers  sent  to 
her,  the  most  notable  baskets  and  bouquets  being  from 
the  Agency's  first  dragoman,  an  eminent  young  Arab 
lawyer,  named  Zaki  Khalil,  who  accompanied  his  flowers 
with  a  pyramid  of  bonbons;  an  immense  basket  of  roses 
from  Brewster  Bey  and  wife,  and  a  surpassingly  beautiful 
bouquet  from  Mehemet  Ali,  from  Watts,  and  others. 

About  eleven  o'clock  we  went  to  the  Agency,  and  there 
met  the  carpet  merchant  with  rugs  from  the  bazaar  which 
we  had  selected  from  his  great  assortment.  Of  these  we 
picked  out  six  large  ones,  ranging  in  size  from  16  x  14 
to  12  x  10,  paying  for  them  ninety-seven  pounds,  or  say, 
an  average  of  about  eighty  dollars  each. 

Mr.  B  arbour  Lathrop  lunched  with  us  at  Shepheard's, 
and  we  are  to  lunch  with  him  in  the  grill  room  on  Mon- 
day. In  the  evening  we  dined  with  Mme.  Mason  Bey, 
the  other  guests  being  Count  and  Countess  della  Sala. 
Miss  Lewis,  with  my  secretary,  ourselves,  and  the  hostess 
making  up  the  table.  The  dinner  over,  we  chatted  in 
Mme.  Mason's  apartment  until  time  to  go  to  the  ball 
at  Shepheard's,  to  which  we  were  obliged  to  go  because 
Louise  had  invited  Faradjalla  Khan,  as  she  afterwards 
said,  in  a  moment  quite  unguarded,  to  join  her  there.  He, 
however,  was  not  well  and  with  such  good  excuse  did 
not  put  in  an  appearance.  We,  therefore,  left  the  ball- 

1  Colonel  Harrison's  niece,  Emily  Harrison,  had  married  Mr.  John  Hampton 
Barnes,  of  Philadelphia.  She  died  soon  after  this,  leaving  three  daughters, 
the  Misses  Dorothy,  Sylvia,  and  Cicely  Barnes.  (EDITOR.) 


110  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

room  at  about  11.30  for  our  own  more  comfortable  quar- 
ters. 

I  forgot  to  note  that  on  Christmas  Day  it  is  the  custom 
here  for  the  foreigners  to  call  upon  the  English,  not  to 
leave  a  card,  but  to  go  in  and  be  received.  It  was  consid- 
ered so  obligatory  that  poor  Louise  was  forced  by  me  to 
drive  behind  the  Arabs  the  first  time  since  their  runaway 
—  with  almost  a  nervous  chill.  It  was  really  pitiable  and 
I  hated  to  insist;  but  knowing  that  the  little  fellows  were 
perfectly  safe  —  well,  as  safe  as  the  best  of  stallions  ever 
are,  and  much  more  so  than  anything  we  might  hire  — 
that  and  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  "break  the  ice,"  I 
would  not  let  her  off.  We  called  on  Lady  Cromer,  Lady 
Garstin,1  Lady  Palmer,  Lady  Grenfell,  and  Mrs.  Daw- 
kins.  There  were  many  others  on  whom  we  might  have 
called,  but  when  we  were  through  with  the  above  five,  we 
concluded  the  others  could,  or  would  have  to,  get  along 
without  us. 

December  26  —  Sunday.  Went  to  the  Agency  with 
my  secretary  about  10.30  and  there  met  the  carpenter  and 
upholsterer,  by  chance.  Was  glad  to  see  them;  to  give 
the  former,  anyhow,  some  last  orders.  We  hope  to  go  into 
our  house  this  week,  and  the  finishing  touches  are  always 
behindhand,  neglected  or  forgotten. 

1  Sir  William  Garstin,  of  whom  Lady  Garstin  was  the  wife,  was  the  Under- 
secretary of  State  for  Public  Works.  At  this  time  his  was  one  of  the  most 
important  offices  in  the  Government,  as  he  had  just  perfected  the  contracts  for 
the  Great  Barrage  of  the  Nile  at  Assouan.  Mr.  Harrison  and  I  were  in  his 
office  on  the  day  when  he  finally  signed  the  contracts.  He  told  us  of  the  fact. 
He  was  a  man  of  simple  ways.  He  moved  around  Cairo  on  his  bicycle,  and 
lived  in  comparatively  little  state.  He  was  a  worker.  Lady  Garstin  subse- 
quently left  him  and  her  little  girls.  He  behaved  in  a  most  generous  manner 
to  the  mother  of  his  children,  and  in  time  received  her  in  the  home  she  had 
forsaken.  But  she  again  left  him.  At  present  his  splendid  administrative 
qualities  have  been  placed  by  him  at  his  country's  service,  as  President  of  the 
British  Red  Cross.  (EDITOR.) 


Baron  Oppenheim 
Counsellor  of  the  German  Legation 


.     J4..***  *          V          °       'I. 

•»*'*      '***  *.**»*  *       '".*•*,   *'    «* 


LUNCHEON  AT  MRS.  GORDON'S        111 

Lunched  at  Mrs.  Gordon's.  The  Colonel,  her  husband, 
who  has  been  of  the  Army  of  Occupation  for  fourteen 
years,  is  quite  a  young-looking  man,  I  should  say  of 
thirty-five,  but  must  be  forty-five  at  least.  He  is  a  cousin 
of  General  Gordon,  who  was  killed  at  Khartum:  a  fine, 
bright,  soldierly  man  who  impressed  me  very  favorably. 
I  have  met  his  wife  several  times  and  have  always  liked 
her.  There  were  at  the  luncheon  Tigrane  Pasha,  formerly 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  for  a  short  time  Prime 
Minister  or  President  of  the  Council,  whom  the  Khedive 
tried  to  force  and  hold  in  that  position  against  the  will 
of  Lord  Cromer,  but  who  in  the  end  had  to  take  a  "back 
seat";  Mr.  and  Miss  Rees,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bird.  I  sat 
between  the  latter  and  Mrs.  Gordon,  and  was  well  placed. 
Mrs.  Bird,  a  young  woman  of  about  thirty,  is,  Louise  tells 
me,  an  American  from  Boston,  I  think.  She  knew  a  num- 
ber of  people  we  knew,  although  /  did  n't  find  this  out 
while  with  her,  thinking  her  an  Englishwoman. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  had  invited  some  people  to 
come  to  our  sitting-room  for  tea.  There  were  but  a  few 
asked:  Mrs.  Bird  and  two  daughters  from  New  York; 
Miss  Lewis,  a  charming  girl  who  is  this  winter  here  with 
Mme.  Mason  Bey;  Baron  Oppenheim;  Mr.  Heidler,  of 
the  Austrian  Legation;  and  a  M.  PrSvost,  of  the  French 
Agency,  together  with  Louise,  my  secretary,  and  myself, 
making  up  the  party,  and  quite  a  pleasant  afternoon  we 
had  of  it. 

We  dined  at  the  hotel.  Afterward  we  chatted  over  in 
our  corner,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitehead  joining  us.  To  bed 
early,  about  ten. 

"The  Sphinx"  was  shown  me  this  morning  contain- 
ing a  flowery  description  of  the  ceremonies  on  the  23d. 


112  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

December  27  —  Monday.  To  the  Agency  very  early  — 
on  my  way  stopping  at  Collicott's  for  the  lost  frock  coat, 
which  finally  turned  up  there;  and  at  Hamilton's  about 
the  heater.  Working  hard  to  push  workmen  from  the 
house  that  we  may  move  in  this  week. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Maskins'  din- 
ner (Belgian  Minister).  It  was  served  in  their  beautiful 
house,  which  had  been  built  by  a  Frenchman  in  Oriental 
style,  with  much  modern  thought  and  work.  The  dinner 
was  more  than  excellent,  and  no  wonder,  for  after  the 
Countess  della  Sala,  Maskins  is  said  to  have  the  best  cook 
in  Cairo.  I  am  beginning  to  wonder  how  our  chef  will 
rank.  Certainly  if  he  cooks  all  things  as  well  as  he  made 
the  cakes  for  Christmas,  we  will  have  no  cause  to  com- 
plain. I  do  not  know  that  I  can  recall  the  menu:  potage 
royale  —  sole  a  la  Dieppe;  cote  de  bceuf  garnished  with 
stuffed  fonds  d'artichauts;  cut-up  chicken  with  a  sauce 
like  a  fricassee,  pyramided  upon  a  mousse  composed  of 
grated  chicken  —  an  exquisite  dish.  Then,  asparagus, 
with  white  sauce;  salad,  with  celery  cut  up  in  it,  and 
quail  roasted  on  toast;  an  ice  cream  of  some  sort,  with 
small,  oval-shaped  pastry;  small  cheese  cakes  about  as 
big  as  a  dollar,  apparently  all  cheese  like  a  Welsh  rarebit, 
yet  brown  and  crisp,  the  best  I  ever  ate  of  this  course; 
the  coffee  afterwards,  served  in  the  smoking-room;  cigars 
good. 

At  the  dinner  were  the  Ministers  and  their  wives,  de 
Willebois  and  Koyander;  Von  Miiller  and  Farad j  alia 
Khan,  the  German  and  Persian  Ministers;  the  two  Misses 
de  Willebois,  charming  girls,  and  an  Englishman  high 
up  in  the  world,  whose  name,  for  the  life  of  me,  I  cannot 
at  this  moment  recall.  These,  with  Miss  Maskins  (her 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATION  SOCIETY    113 

mother  being  unfortunately  sick),  with  Louise,  Maskins, 
and  myself,  made  up  the  dinner.  It  was  very  gay  and 
certainly  one  of  the  most  charming  yet  attended  by  us. 
I  sat  next  to  Mme.  Koyander.  In  the  center  of  the  table 
was  a  high  lamp  with  capacious  shade.  Candelabra  of 
five  candles  at  each  end. 

December  28  —  Tuesday.  At  the  Agency  early.  Called 
on  Boutros  Pasha,  with  Mr.  Watts,  concerning  the  grant 
to  the  American  Exploration  Society,  taking  with  me  a 
copy  of  a  private  letter  to  Watts  from  Dr.  Pepper  on  the 
subject,  large  extracts  only  being  copied,  and  a  statement 
of  the  Society's  case  and  needs,  very  well  put,  by  Mr. 
Rosher,  the  agent  for  the  Society.  I  had  a  very  pleasant 
interview  and  was  promised  that  a  consultation  with  the 
Minister  of  Public  Works  would  be  had  to-day  by  Bou- 
tros and  a  reply  sent  to  me  before  the  close  of  the  week. 

The  Society,  which  has  a  grant  to  dig  at  Tanis,  had 
only  a  right  for  one  half  the  objects  found,  not  royal,  and 
as  most  of  the  remains  at  Tanis  are  designated  as  royal, 
the  Society  would  have  all  the  expense  and  none  of  the 
results.  The  object  of  my  visit  was  to  induce  the  Egyp- 
tian Government  to  divide  with  the  Society  equally, 
royal  or  otherwise. 

A  gentleman  from  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  called, — Mr. 
Farquhar.  Having  determined  to  move  into  our  quarters 
Saturday  next,  I  am  pushing  the  workmen  more  even 
than  usual,  and  it  looks  now  as  if  we  might  sleep  in  our 
own  beds  Saturday  night.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  an 
entertainment  of  Dr.  Lyon,  the  prestidigitateur,  in  the 
salon  of  the  hotel.  Judge  Tuck  and  his  wife  sat  with  us, 
before  and  after  the  play  of  cards  and  tricks. 


114  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

December  29  —  Wednesday.  Early  to  the  Agency,  stop- 
ping on  the  way  at  Maroni's  about  the  stove  for  Louise's 
morningrroom,  and  to  look  at  some  needed  furniture. 
Things  are  progressing,  but  I  see  no  chance  of  being  com- 
fortable in  the  house  before  next  week. 

Judge  Tuck  came  in  and  remained  about  two  hours. 
We  went  over  the  Ghaille-Long  case,  and  although  he 
does  not  believe  Long  has  any  chance  of  success  in  prose- 
cuting his  claim  for  a  pension,  he  advises  me  to  consult 
with  a  lawyer,  whose  name  he  will  give  me,  something  like 
Carton  de  Wyart,  and  see  if  he  thinks  enough  of  it  to 
take  it  on  a  contingent.  I  so  wrote  Long. 

In  the  afternoon  at  the  Agency.  I  wrote  letters  to 
Mr.  Frazier,  Mr.  Dawson,  of  London,  Chipley,  John,  and 
George,  which  occupied  me  until  nearly  five  o'clock.  In 
the  evening  we  sat  in  our  corner  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  W. 
Justice,  Mr.  Hartshorne  (Vice-president  of  the  Lehigh 
Valley  Railroad),  Miss  Dreer,  and  Mr.  Tooker,  of  New 
York. 

December  30  —  Thursday.  At  the  Agency  early.  About 
10.30  Prince  Mehemet  Ali  and  one  of  his  equerries  called. 
Fortunately,  the  fumoir  was  in  a  beautiful  condition.  I 
saw  his  look  of  surprise  as  he  entered.  After  taking  his 
seat,  and  "passing  the  time  of  day,"  he  said,  "Did  you 
bring  all  these  pretty  things  from  home?" 

The  room  is  papered  with  a  deep  solid  red;  the  ceiling, 
with  a  little  border  around  the  sides,  is  colored  a  yellow 
cream.  On  the  walls  hang  gilt  framed  pictures  —  some 
oils,  some  prints.  A  table,  covered  with  a  flowered  golden 
yellow  cloth,  holds  a  richly  decorated  student's  lamp, 
an  inkstand,  in  the  form  of  a  dragon,  in  whose  head  is 


Smoking-Room 


THE  FUMOIR  115 

the  ink  and  whose  body  is  made  from  the  curled  horn  of 
a  monstrous  "Billy  Goat"  —  a  very  handsome  piece; 
knick-knacks,  with  books  and  scattered  photographs, 
complete  the  furniture.  Scarcely  two  chairs  are  uphol- 
stered alike;  all  are  covered  with  one  or  the  other  of  the 
rich  silks  bought  in  Florence,  and  all  harmonize  one  with 
the  other.  If  there  be  a  fault  in  the  room  and  its  decora- 
tions, it  is  to  be  found  in  the  excess  of  different  hues.  The 
floor  is  covered  with  a  rug,  whose  center  is  a  solid,  very 
dark,  blue,  and  its  wide  border  the  color  of  the  walls.  I 
fear  a  good  critic  will,  without  doubt,  say  too  much  and 
many  colors.  Anyhow,  my  visitor  sat  about  a  half-hour, 
and  it  ended  by  a  request  from  the  Prince  that  I  allow 
Fero  to  take  "Bay  Harrison"  for  two  or  three  weeks  to 
train  him,  to  which  I  assented. 

After  he  had  gone  Mrs.  Nottingham  Taylor  and  daugh- 
ter came  to  sign  some  papers,  and  they  remained  a  half- 
hour.  In  the  afternoon  I  had  a  pleasant  visit  from  Mr. 
Strang,  of  the  American  Mission  at  Magaga,  a  very  in- 
telligent, though  I  thought  narrow,  man. 

I  have  moved  a  great  deal  of  the  furniture  downstairs, 
and  have  hung  pictures  and  mirrors.  The  house  begins  to 
"shape  up." 

In  the  evening  sat  in  our  corner  in  the  hotel  with  the 
Justices,  Mrs.  Mason,  Mr.  Lathrop,  etc. 

December  31  — Friday.  First  to  the  stable  to  see  "Bay 
Harrison,"  who  had  been  turned  over  to  Fero  by  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali.  Jack  had  just  driven  him  and  reported 
favorably  upon  him.  He  will  jog  him  for  a  couple  of 
weeks  to  a  cart  and  then  cut  him  loose. 

Received  letters  from  home  and  wrote  replies,  which, 


116  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

with  superintending  the  hanging  of  mirrors  and  pictures 
and  placing  of  furniture,  occupied  my  time  both  morning 
and  afternoon.  In  the  evening  sat  in  our  corner  listening 
to  the  playing  upon  the  zither,  and  before  going  to  bed 
went  over  de  Willebois's  long  list,  with  my  secretary, 
for  to-morrow's  visits. 

January  1,  1898  —  Saturday.  To-day  has  been  a  busy 
one.  First  at  the  Agency  about  9.30,  to  "put  the  house 
in  order"  for  the  reception  of  callers;  and  then,  starting 
at  10.30,  with  my  secretary  and  a  long  list  of  distinguished 
people  to  be  visited.  Fero  drove  us  on  our  rounds.  These 
visits,  with  few  exceptions,  were  only  made  to  unmarried 
men,  or  to  those  whose  wives  were  not  in  Egypt,  and  they 
occupied  the  morning  until  after  midday.  We  took  an 
early  luncheon  and  returned  to  the  Legation  by  two 
o'clock,  only  to  start  out  again  at  3.30,  this  time  my  sec- 
retary and  I  calling  upon  the  wives  of  the  Diplomatic 
Agents,  Consuls-General,  and  Consuls,  all  of  whom  held 
receptions. 

Louise,  on  her  part,  did  the  same  at  the  Agency,  two 
rooms  of  which  had  been  hastily,  though  beautifully  and 
richly,  made  ready.  The  house  is  quite  a  show.  Outside 
the  door  and  by  his  guardsman's  box  stood  the  boab,  or 
guard,  to-day  for  the  first  time,  dressed  in  the  richly  em- 
broidered purple  cloth  suit  presented  to  me  by  the  Khe- 
dive. He  admitted  the  visitors.  Just  within,  stood  Ali, 
one  of  the  janissaries,  a  tall,  soldierly  looking  fellow,  black 
as  a  coal,  sword  within  its  silver  scabbard,  plainly  in  view. 
He  showed  the  visitors  up  the  stairway  by  a  wave  of  his 
hand.  On  the  first  landing  and  without  the  door  that 
opened  into  the  vestibule  or  hall,  which  we  have  made 


"Bay  Harrison"  and  Jack  Fero 
Photograph  taken  at  Pomfret  before  they  went  to  Egypt 


RECEPTION  AT  THE  AGENCY  117 

into  an  ante-salon,  stood  Garras,  a  messenger  of  the  Lega- 
tion and  he  also  dressed,  as  the  boab,  in  the  Khedivial 
embroidered  purple  cloth  suit.  He  opened  the  door  of  the 
ante-salon,  where  within  stood  Giuseppe,  the  maitre  d9  hotel, 
to  lead  the  visitors  to  Louise  in  the  library,  fumoir,  or  what 
is  to  be  my  "den."  This  room  is  at  the  end  of  the  ante- 
salon,  its  door  opening  upon  that  apartment  on  its  right. 
Immediately  opposite  that  doorway  is  the  door  of  the 
dining-room,  and  at  the  end  of  the  ante-salon  is  the  wide 
double  doorway  that  opens  into  the  drawing-room. 

The  ante-salon,  hall,  or  vestibule  is  really  a  twenty- 
two-feet  wide  hall,  which  we  have  made  into  a  room.  The 
walls  have  been  painted  a  yellowish  straw  color,  with  fig- 
ures of  fleur-de-lis,  in  rather  large  pattern.  The  large  win- 
dows looking  out  into  the  court  are  round  at  the  top,  as 
are  also  the  doorways  leading  into  the  room.  There  are 
six  openings,  and  all  these  are  hung,  including  portieres, 
with  green  silk,  lined  with  a  light  rose  color.  The  double 
doorway  —  in  fact  all  the  openings,  except  the  windows, 
have  double  doors  —  leading  to  the  drawing-room  is  hung 
with  a  heavy  cloth  of  gold,  the  stuff  a  shade  of  green  to 
match  the  other  hangings.  It  is  a  rich  and  voluminous 
old  Italian  piece  that  we  found  in  Florence,  really  sur- 
passingly effective  and  beautiful,  especially  at  night  with 
a  bright  artificial  light  upon  it.  The  floor  is  covered,  from 
wall  to  wall,  with  a  crimson  plush  carpet;  on  the  right  is 
the  exquisite  gilt  console  table,  which  we  bought  in  Flor- 
ence. Over  it  now  is  a  large  mirror,  but  eventually  the 
frame  of  Louise's  full-length  portrait  will  rest  upon  it. 
Opposite,  and  under  a  high  and  wide  window  that  almost 
reaches  to  the  floor,  is  placed  a  gilt  jardiniere  about  six 
feet  long,  in  which  living  plants,  mostly  palms,  have  been 


118  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

planted.  Mahogany  Empire  chairs,  with  gilt  decorations 
on  the  backs,  and  with  gilded  claw-feet,  were  convention- 
ally placed  in  the  vacant  spaces  against  the  walls;  while 
a  chaise  longue,  set  crosswise,  at  one  end,  and  a  gilt  lectern 
of  elaborate  pattern,  balanced  it  at  the  other  side  of  the 
apartment.  The  two  high  and  elegantly  carved  and  col- 
ored Italian  columns  which  I  bought  in  Florence  were 
placed  on  either  side  of  the  doorway  leading  into  the  draw- 
ing-room, and  held  silver  vases  containing  a  profusion  of 
cut  flowers.  Altogether  I  thought  the  two  rooms  we  had 
to  offer  made  a  brave  show. 

During  the  afternoon  tea,  cake,  wine,  etc.,  were  offered 
to  each  caller.  These  were  very  numerous,  including 
all  the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  many  of  the  princes  of  the 
blood,  pashas,  beys,  and  others;  and  it  was  after  six 
o'clock  before  the  last  guest  departed.  I  hurried  back  to 
Shepheard's  to  dress  for  the  dinner  to  which  I  had  been 
invited  by  the  Officers'  Mess  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers, 
at  Abbassieh.  I  wore  all  my  "war  paint,"  including  my 
neck  ribbon  with  Loyal  Legion  insignium  and  the  decora- 
tion of  the  Grand  Army. 

About  thirty  or  thirty-five  men  sat  down.  The  dinner, 
wines,  and  music,  by  the  regimental  band,  were  above  the 
average  in  excellence,  but  I  found  the  proceedings  stupid 
as  compared  with  what  I  had  expected  to  find.  It  was 
just  a  dinner  such  as  one  might  have  at  any  gentleman's 
table,  where  low  conversation  between  you  and  your  com- 
panions, on  one  side  or  the  other  immediately  next  to  you, 
was  the  rule.  There  were  no  after-dinner  proceedings  at 
all.  When  the  coffee  had  been  served  and  cigarettes  and 
cigars  had  been  handed,  we  all  adjourned  to  the  large 
Mess  Room  where  a  glowing  fire  in  the  grate  and  comfort- 


Ante-Salon 


DINNER  WITH  OFFICERS'  MESS         119 

able  armchairs  awaited  us.  Here  we  smoked  and  indi- 
vidually chatted  until  nearly  eleven  o'clock,  when,  the 
first  of  the  guests  to  rise,  I  took  my  leave.  Of  course  I  was 
the  principal  personage  at  the  feast,  there  being  no  other 
Minister  or  Consul-General  present.  All  the  officers  were 
presented  to  me,  but,  excepting  Colonel  Martin,  for  the 
life  of  me  I  cannot  remember  the  name  of  even  one  other 
officer  that  belongs  to  the  regiment. 

When  I  returned  to  Shepheard's  I  found  Louise  and 
my  secretary  awaiting  me,  with  an  account  of  an  even- 
ing passed  to  their  discontent,  owing  to  insistence  on  the 
part  of  one  of  the  American  tourists  —  a  lady  —  to  join 
their  party  in  the  corner  usually  occupied  by  us  in  our 
evening  "at  home,"  and  forcing  out,  as  it  were,  the  two 
pretty  Misses  Bend,  whom  my  secretary  has  so  much  ad- 
mired. They  probably  gave  up  their  seats  to  admit  the 
"tourist,"  near  to  Louise,  and  having  given  them  up,  re- 
tired to  their  own  salon. 

January  2  —  Sunday.  Remained  indoors  until  about 
11.30,  when  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Legation  to  meet 
Mr.  Saki,  the  dragoman  of  the  Agency,  who  had  an  ap- 
pointment to  visit  us.  He  brought  with  him  some  beau- 
tiful ostrich  feathers,  an  offering  to  Louise  from  his  father. 
He  remained  quite  a  while,  discussing  most  interestingly 
the  conditions  of  the  country  under  English  protection, 
the  Copts  and  Mussulmans,  and  their  relation  one  to  the 
other;  the  treatment  of  the  women  and  their  gradual 
emancipation.  I  received  a  goodly  mail  from  the  United 
States,  especially  letters  from  Pomfret,  John  W.  Frazier, 
and  Joe  McCammon,  and  I  stayed  indoors  all  the  after- 
noon, with  newspapers  and  mail,  until  about  6.30,  when 


120  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Louise  and  I  went  over  to  PohoomuPs  to  see  about  her 
jeweled  eyeglass  case.1 

January  3  —  Monday.  We  moved  into  our  house  to- 
day, and,  although  by  no  means  in  good  order,  right  glad 
we  were  to  be  once  more  installed  under  our  own  roof. 
While  Louise  went  to  musical  teas  and  made  lots  of  visits 
during  the  afternoon  with  my  secretary,  I  worked  at  the 
house  having  my  clothes  put  away  —  those  which  I  had 
all  the  morning  watched  being  packed  at  Shepheard's. 
This  work  might  have  been  left  altogether  to  the  valet, 
it  is  true,  but  I  have  generally  found  old  Benjamin 
Franklin  was  right  when  he  said,  "If  you  want  a  thing 
done,  do  it  yourself;  if  you  don't  want  it  done,  employ 
some  one  else  to  do  it."  Anyhow,  I  am  well  satisfied  now. 
I  know  where  my  traps  are  and  know  what  I  have. 

Our  first  meal  in  this  house  was  dinner.  The  dining- 
room  is  but  partly  furnished  and  the  stained  and  paper- 
torn  walls  make  the  room  anything  but  good  to  look 
upon;  yet  the  sideboard  from  Philadelphia,  a  piece  of 
exquisite  inlaid  work;  the  service  table  with  high  glass, 
from  Florence,  black  with  inlaid  ivory  in  Renaissance 
designs  after  the  best  style  of  the  sort  in  that  city  which 
is  celebrated  for  this  kind  of  work;  the  grand  old  table 
that  used  to  decorate  the  hall  at  the  "Meadows,"  with 
some  sparkling  glass  and  bright,  well-cleaned  silver,  did 
give  the  room  an  appearance  that  went  far  to  reconcile 
one  to  the  "outs"  that  could  not  be  hidden.  Giuseppe  as 
maitre  cT hotel  and  Garras  as  footman  served  an  excel- 
lent meal:  soup  (a  little  thin  and  too  salt),  fish,  roast  beef 

1  This  jeweled,  gold  eyeglass  case  is  now  in  the  Pennsylvania  Museum 
and  School  of  Industrial  Art,  as  a  bequest  and  gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas 
Skelton  Harrison.  (EDITOR.) 


The  United  States  Agency  and  Consulate-General 


DESCRIPTION  OF  OFFICES  121 

with  a  garnish  of  three  or  four  vegetables,  artichokes, 
quail,  and  salad,  and  an  entremet  of  beignets,  with  some 
preserve  within;  fruit  and  coffee. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  opera  and  listened  to  a 
well-sung  performance  of  the  "Barber  of  Seville."  House 
very  cold,  so  much  so  Louise  wore  her  cloak  and  I  my 
overcoat  throughout  the  whole  performance.  To  bed  by 
midnight. 

A  partir  du  meme  jour,  Mme.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison  re- 
cevra  chaque  mardi  a  1'agence  des  £tats-Unis  ou  elle  s'installe  au- 
jourd'hui. 

On  parle  d'un  bal  que  le  colonel  Th.  Skelton  Harrison  donnerait 
probablement  le  mercredi  26  Janvier,  soil  au  Shepheard,  soil  au 
Casino  de  Ghezireh.  ("Egyptian  Gazette,"  January  3,  1897.) 

This  appeared  in  this  afternoon's  "Gazette,"  and  as  I 
shall  make  it  a  point  to  paste  herein  all  the  notices  that 
may  be  made  that  come  to  my  attention,  just  for  the  fun 
of  the  thing,  and  to  see  what  exaggerations,  or  worse, 
may  be  printed,  this  insignificant  one  is  given. 

Having  moved  into  my  new  quarters,  and  having  had 
a  circular  sent  to  me  from  the  Department  requiring  a 
description  of  them,  a  report  was  prepared  and  sent  un- 
der cover  to  one  of  the  Assistant  Secretaries  of  State,  with 
the  request  that  it  be  filed  if  he  saw  no  objection  to  the 
humorous  vein  in  which  it  was  written. 

AGENCY   AND   CONSULATE-GENERAL   OF  THE   UNITED   STATES  — 
CAIRO,    EGYPT 

Description  of  Offices,  etc.,  to  accompany  Dispatches,  as  directed 
in  Department's  Official  Circular  Instructions  of  October  12th, 
1898. 

THE   PLACE 

An  anomaly,  tempered  by  Lord  Cromer,  is  the  designation  that 
might  not  inaptly  be  applied  to  the  Egyptian  Government,  in  much 


122  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  spirit  of  Voltaire  when  he  pronounced  the  French  monarchy 
"a  despotism  tempered  by  epigrams."  However,  the  unprecedented 
circumstances  in  which  the  rulers  of  the  land  find  themselves  are 
sufficiently  familiar,  thanks  to  official  and  unofficial  reports.  The 
only  change  of  moment  is  due  to  the  Sirdar's  operations  in  the 
Sudan,  a  full  account  of  which  has  already  reached  the  Depart- 
ment. The  injunction  to  describe  briefly  "the  place  at  which  you 
are  stationed"  restricts  this  report  to  the  bare  statement  that 
Cairo,  the  metropolis  of  the  African  Continent,  has  an  estimated 
population  of  450,000;  that  it  has  no  industries  in  the  commercial 
sense  of  the  term;  that  its  exports  to  the  United  States  average, 
now,  $200,000  yearly,  while  the  whole  of  Egypt  imports  from  our 
country  to  the  amount  of  some  $500,000  each  year.  Skins,  gums, 
senna,  and  cigarettes  are  the  staple  exports  to  America  from  Cairo, 
and  machinery  forms,  perhaps,  the  staple  import.  There  can  be 
no  doubt  that  freight  charges,  and  ignorance  of  what  the  United 
States  can  to  advantage  furnish,  operate  almost  prohibitively,  so 
far  as  our  trade  with  Egypt  is  concerned.  Once  this  problem  of 
freight  charges  and  acquaintance  with  our  manufactures  solved, 
trade  between  the  two  nations  would  assume  large  proportions. 

The  climate  of  Cairo  is  the  finest  in  the  world  in  winter  — 
lambent,  mild,  cloudless,  and  invigorating.  In  summer  the  heat 
is  intense,  but  devoid  of  humidity,  being,  indeed,  infinitely  more 
supportable  than  that  of  New  York  or  Philadelphia  during  the  dog 
days.  There  may  be  to-day  some  hundred  permanent  American 
residents,  certainly  not  more.  They  are,  for  the  most  part,  mis- 
sionaries and  professional  men.  American  tourists  visit  Cairo, 
however,  by  the  score  during  the  winter  and  they  spend,  perhaps, 
$1,000,000  in  a  season.  This  estimate  would  be  grossly  exaggerated 
were  it  not  for  the  hotel  bills ! 

DUTIES 

It  is  almost  a  jest  at  the  expense  of  the  Agent  and  Consul- 
General  of  the  United  States  in  Egypt  to  direct  him  to  "describe 
the  character  of  his  official  duties"  briefly.  What  with  Americans 
who  are  taken  halfway  up  the  Pyramids  and  deserted  there,  Amer- 
icans whose  landladies  cannot  get  rid  of  them,  Americans  who 
want  to  be  presented  to  the  Khedive,  Americans  who  speak  only 
the  English  language,  Americans  whose  trunks  have  disappeared, 
Americans  who  have  disappeared  themselves,  and  Americans  who 
are  collecting  postage  stamps,  the  "social"  side  of  the  duties,  to 


Office  of  the  Agent 


DESCRIPTION  OF  OFFICES  123 

employ  the  current  euphemism,  is  in  a  state  of  expansion  that  is  as 
constant  as  it  is  indefinite.  Then  the  judicial  capacity  in  which  he 
acts  involves  the  Agent  and  Gonsul-General  in  personal  disputes 
of  every  conceivable  kind.  The  routine  duties,  on  the  other  hand, 
are  almost  nominal.  Thus,  in  1898,  invoices  were  certified  to;  no 
American  vessels  came  to  Cairo  —  no  seamen  were  shipped,  and  no 
health  bills  were  issued. 

OFFICE 

When  you  enter  the  substantial,  mansion-like  edifice  in  which 
the  Agency  and  Consulate-General  is  housed,  you  ascend  three 
or  four  stone  steps,  and  turn  either  to  your  right  or  to  your  left. 
If  you  turn  to  your  left,  you  are  in  a  fairly  large  room,  bare-looking 
and  cheerless.  Two  large  maps,  two  small  photographs,  and  the 
"Tariff  of  United  States  Consular  Fees,"  adorn  the  dirty  yellow 
walls.  On  either  side  of  the  one  large  window  looking  into  the 
Sharia-el-Maghrabby  is  a  desk,  and  against  the  wall  is  another 
desk,  making  three  in  all.  There  may  be  documents,  but  as  open- 
ing the  drawers  would  involve  the  destruction  of  these  desks,  the 
point  is  in  doubt.  There  is  also  a  bookcase,  stocked  with  an  array  of 
archives.  These  archives  date  from  1865,  —  a  truly  astonishing 
fact  in  view  of  their  appearance  and  the  appearance  of  the  book- 
case. The  uninformed  spectator  would  credit  them  with  a  far  more 
remote  antiquity.  However,  they  harmonize  with  the  carpet, 
which  harmonizes  with  the  chairs,  which  harmonize  with  the  ven- 
erable character  of  the  land  of  the  Pyramids.  The  only  modern 
features  of  the  office  are  those  of  William  Dulany  Hunter,  Deputy 
Consul-General  and  Consular  Clerk,  and  Alexander  Harvey  — 
Clerk. 

If,  however,  the  visitor  has  turned  to  the  right,  he  will  be  in  the 
office  occupied  by  the  Vice  and  Deputy  Consul-General.  Here  the 
bookcases,  two  in  number,  are  in  fairly  good  condition.  The  desk  is 
new  and  the  rugs  and  curtains  are  in  fairly  presentable  condition. 
A  door  leads  into  the  office  of  the  Agent  and  Consul-General,  and 
this  office  has  also  its  bookcase,  glass-doored  and  modern.  The 
desk  answers  its  purpose,  the  rugs  and  hangings  are  passable  and 
the  pictures  are  worth  looking  at.  But  the  contents  of  this  room 
are  for  the  most  part  the  private  property  of  the  Agent  and  Con- 
sul-General. The  door  leading  back  from  it  ushers  one  into  the 
private  reception-room  of  the  Agency,  where  those  calling  on 
especial  and  private  business,  or  making  a  purely  social  call,  are 


124  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

received.  It  is  tastefully  and  perhaps  it  may  be  called  richly  fur- 
nished, with  hangings,  sofas,  chairs,  rugs,  pictures,  etc.,  etc.,  all 
the  property  of  the  United  States  Agent. 

The  rest  of  the  house  —  excepting  the  basement,  where  is  to 
be  found  the  sleeping-apartment  of  the  boab,  or  doorkeeper,  who 
rests  uneasily,  due  to  the  ringing  of  a  cracked  bell  that  summons 
him  day  and  night,  and  a  barred  window  room  that  serves  as  a 
place  of  not  unpleasant  detention  on  account  of  its  view  of  a  well- 
kept  garden  and  the  temporary  storage  of  household  provisions 
—  is  occupied  by  the  Consul-General  as  his  official  residence.  It 
being  a  custom  of  the  country  that  a  landlord  shall  do  no  more  for 
his  tenant  than  receipt  for  the  rent,  Mr.  Harrison  was  compelled 
to  equip  the  house,  at  his  own  expense,  with  gas  fixtures,  heating 
apparatus,  and  plumbing,  painting,  papering,  and  so  forth.  There- 
fore, speaking  generally,  the  official  representative  of  the  United 
States  is  adequately  housed,  from  the  Egyptian  point  of  view. 
The  amount  charged  for  rent  in  1898  was  $1500,  and  the  amount 
charged  the  United  States  was  $1000. 

January  4  —  Tuesday.  Mrs.  Watts,  baby,  and  maid 
went  up  the  river  to-day  on  the  Rameses  III,  the  same 
boat  of  Cook's  that  took  Louise  and  me  up  in  1895.  My 
secretary  and  I  were  driven  down  by  Fero  to  see  them  off 
and  to  meet  Watts  himself  there.  Quite  a  party  of  those 
we  knew  were  going  up.  The  Bradlees,  the  Pecks  of  Chi- 
cago, the  Justices,  and  others.  I  was  glad  to  greet  a  half- 
dozen  or  so  of  the  old  steamer  servants.  They  knew  me 
at  once,  especially  the  black  that  waited  on  us  at  the  table. 
None  were  satisfied  until  they  had  seized  my  hand  and 
kissed  it,  a  mode  of  salutation  that  used  to  shock  me,  but 
now  seems  just  the  right  thing  to  expect  from  these  poor 
people.  Louise  and  I  went  shopping  afterwards,  and  bought 
a  lot  of  little,  but  necessary,  things  for  the  house. 

Lunched  at  home,  and  a  good  luncheon  it  was;  eggs 
with  a  white  sauce,  and  more  especially  to  be  named 
a  brown  stew,  or  something,  of  the  knee  joint  of  beef — 


A  VISIT  TO  THE  OLD  PASHA  125 

glutinous  and  really  delicious  as  cooked,  a  something  we 
should  have  thrown  away  at  home,  and  probably  a  part 
that  had  first  been  used  for  stock. 

In  the  afternoon,  with  my  secretary  and  Brewster  Bey, 
made  a  visit  to  the  father  of  Zulsifer  Ibrahim  Bey,  the  old 
Pasha,  who  was  a  distinguished  general  under  Mehemet 
Ali,  now  about  eighty-seven  years  old.  We  were  driven 
down  opposite  the  island  of  Rhoda,  on  which  the  old 
Pasha  lives,  and  were  ferried  over  in  his  richly  and  beau- 
tifully decorated  barge,  the  velvet  cushions  and  silk  hang- 
ings of  which  were  in  keeping  with  the  dress  of  the  oars- 
men. We  were  met  on  the  Cairo  side  by  Ibrahim  himself, 
and  he  accompanied  us. 

On  reaching  the  Rhoda  landing  we  were  met  by  a  troupe 
of  servants  who  led  us  to  the  haremlik,  where  we  were 
soon  joined  by  the  old  general.  He  had  visibly  aged  in  the 
three  years  that  had  passed  since  I  last  saw  him.  We  re- 
mained about  fifteen  minutes,  during  which  time  cigar- 
ettes and  coffee  were  served.  The  old  Pasha  remembered 
me  very  well;  talked  about  the  United  States  and  seemed 
to  have  a  very  fair  idea  of  the  relations  of  the  States  to  the 
General  Government,  admitting  it  was  the  most  progres- 
sive and  most  prosperous  of  all  the  nations.  He  accom- 
panied us,  when  we  left,  to  the  head  of  the  broad  stairway 
leading  to  the  landing,  and  remained  until  we  were  seated 
in  the  barge. 

After  our  visit  to  the  father,  we  went  to  see,  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river,  the  new  house  that  Prince  Ibra- 
him is  building.  He  is  one  of  about  fifty  children  (the  old 
Pasha  having  had  one  born  to  him  when  he  was  eighty- 
four,  about  four  years  ago),  but  is  the  only  son  from  the 
wife  who  had  not  been  a  slave,  and  is  consequently  held  in 


126  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

higher  esteem  than  any  of  his  brothers.  His  name  is  Zulsi- 
fer  Ibrahim.  We  knew  him  very  well  when  here  in  1895. 
Remained  home  in  the  evening  and  enjoyed  the  tran- 
quillity of  our  own  house. 

January  5 — Wednesday.  Hard  at  work  all  the  morning 
arranging  about  the  house  and  receiving  visitors.  Among 
them  was  Mr.  James  Stokes,  brother  of  Mr.  Anson  Phelps 
Stokes,  who  has  been  traveling  about  the  world  on  phil- 
anthropic errands. 

During  the  afternoon  I  was  busy  with  Watts  with  the 
quarterly  accounts.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  dinner  of 
the  French  Minister,  M.  Gogordan,  at  which  thirteen  men 
and  seven  women  sat  down  to  a  most  acceptable  meal.  The 
palace  of  this  gentleman  was  built  by  a  Frenchman  in 
the  time  of  Ismail  Pasha,  Khedive,  and  for  its  size  is  the 
most  artistically  and  expensively  constructed  in  all  Egypt, 
thoroughly  Oriental  in  its  discomfort  in  cold  weather,  and 
in  many  respects  resembling  the  Alhambra  —  beautiful 
tiling,  exquisite  and  delicate  carvings  and  tracings,  high 
and  richly  decorated  ceilings,  patios,  and  open  spaces  with 
plants  and  flowers.  I  can  only  say  that  as  Gogordan  is 
allowed  about  twenty  thousand  dollars  a  year  by  the 
French  Government  (the  same  as  Lord  Gromer  by  the 
British)  for  entertainment,  and  has  his  chef  from  Paris, 
it  was  more  than  excellent. 

The  dining-room  was  the  only  salle  that  was  not  Ori- 
ental; it  was  thoroughly  French,  with  its  tapestried  walls, 
frescoed  ceilings,  and  gilded  carved  woodwork.  The  table 
was  laid  with  a  large  center  plateau,  with  silver  border,  and 
in  its  center  a  corbeille,  I  think  it  is  called,  of  silver,  at 
least  eighteen  inches  long  and  twelve  inches  wide,  basket 


Prince  Osman 


DINNER  OF  THE  FRENCH  MINISTER    127 

in  form,  filled  with  flowers.  Water  and  wine  bottles  of 
cut  glass  —  sixteen  in  number  —  were  along  the  table  on 
both  sides,  eight  on  either,  and  six  candelabra,  with  six 
candles  each,  gave  light,  in  addition  to  a  central  "lustre" 
that  hung  from  the  ceiling  with  incandescent  electric 
burners.  The  glassware  was  exquisitely  delicate  in  form 
and  lightness,  very  thin,  and  beautifully  engraved.  I  took 
in  the  Countess  Landberg,  and  sat  next  but  one  (the 
Countess)  on  the  left  of  the  host.  Louise  sat  next  to  him 
on  his  right.  She  was  taken  in  by  Chalif  Pasha,  the  son-in- 
law  of  Muhktar  Pasha,  the  Turkish  High  Commissioner, 
whom  I  have  already  mentioned.  His  son  —  who  has  won 
a  lawsuit  involving  the  dot  of  £250,000  of  his  wife,  whom 
he  married  by  contract,  but  whom  he  never  saw  —  sat 
opposite  to  me,  and  next  but  one  to  one  of  the  Khedive's 
uncles,  the  Prince  Osman,  an  old,  jolly,  gray-bearded 
Pasha.  After  the  dinner  I  went  to  the  Austro-Hungarian 
Ball  at  the  Continental,  Louise  returning  home. 

January  6  —  Thursday.  On  rising  this  morning  I  found 
it  had  been  raining  hard  almost  all  night,  and  was  still 
raining  —  a  steady  downpour  of  little  tiny  drops,  a  little 
more  than  a  very  heavy  drizzle  —  and  the  streets  were,  in 
some  places,  overflowed  with  water,  or  else  a  couple  of 
inches  deep  in  mud.  No  provision  is  here  made  for  drain- 
age; there  are  no  sewers,  nor  is  there  such  inclination  of 
the  streets  or  paving  as  to  carry  off  any  surplus  water.  It 
has  now  rained  four  times  since  my  arrival  the  latter  part 
of  October,  but  last  night's  and  to-day's  rain  have  been 
the  only  important  and  continuous  downpours. 

Mr.  Stokes  called  again,  and  having  been  invited,  stayed 
to  luncheon.  Barbour  Lathrop  happened  in  and  he  too 


128  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

remained.  Louise,  poor  dear,  caught  cold  last  night,  either 
going  or  coming  from  the  Cogordans  or  in  their  unheated 
rooms,  and  remained  either  in  bed  or  in  her  own  room, 
wrapped  in  eiderdown  comfortables,  all  day.  My  secre- 
tary lunched  with  his  friend,  Prince  Ibrahim,  brother  of 
Prince  Fuad.  Poor  Prince  Said  Tussun  ! !  —  the  one  with 
whom  I  had  the  unpleasant  incident  respecting  the  return 
of  Louise's  card,  which,  ignorant  of  Western  customs,  he 
thought  had  been  left  on  him  —  died  early  this  morning, 
and  at  noon  was  carried  to  the  railroad  station.  My  sec- 
retary, representing  our  Agency,  walked  in  the  funeral 
procession,  Prince  Mehemet  Ali  and  Prince  Ibrahim  on 
either  side  of  him. 

I  have  kept  a  copy  of  the  letters  received  and  written 
respecting  the  card  incident.  The  Prince  had  married  an 
Irishwoman  who  was  said  still  to  be  married.  The  marriage 
might  be  legal  with  the  Turks,  but  the  "Princess"  was 
not  recognized  by  the  Cromers  and  other  leading  English 
families,  although  she  was  accepted  by  most  of  the  Conti- 
nental element.  The  Prince  accordingly  was  super-sensi- 
tive about  her  and  accepted  no  attention  to  himself  unless 
also  offered  to  his  wife.  We  were  advised  to  leave  our 
cards,  two  of  mine  and  one  of  Louise's  —  of  course  the 
latter  for  the  Princess.  After  a  few  days  I  received  an 
envelope  containing  Louise's  card  and  a  card  of  the  Prince, 
on  which  he  had  written,  "Prince  Said  Tussun  does  not 
accept  any  visit  to  himself  unless  one  is  also  made  at 
the  same  time  to  his  Princess,"  or  words  to  that  effect.  I 
returned  my  card  and  on  it  wrote  that  I  begged  him  to 
believe  that  my  wife  was  not  unacquainted  with  the 
conventionalities  of  social  life,  and  that  it  was  not  the 
custom  of  American  ladies  either  to  visit  or  to  leave  their 


PRINCE  SAID  TUSSUN  129 

cards  upon  gentlemen;  that  the  card  was  left  for  the 
Princess. 

My  secretary  met  him  that  night  at  a  dinner  and  lis- 
tened to  him  tell  of  his  mortification.  He  said  that  he  had 
been  at  the  races  in  the  afternoon;  but  left  them  early, 
fearing  that  I  might  come  and  see  him  —  that  he  was  too 
much  ashamed  of  himself  to  meet  me,  and  so  forth. 

He  got  out  of  the  matter,  after  some  days'  reflection, 
by  stating  in  a  very  polite  and  apologetic  note  to  me  that 
my  janissary  had  told  his  boab  that  the  card  was  for  him 
and  not  for  the  Princess.  Of  course  this  did  not  excuse 
him,  for  he  should  have  known  the  custom  that  prevails 
when  a  man  and  wife  visit  another  man  and  wife,  as  to 
the  cards  that  are  left;  and  second,  it  was  inexcusable  in 
him,  to  me  (not  personally,  but  as  representative  of  the 
United  States,  officially  outranking  even  the  princes  of 
the  blood),  to  address  me  so  disrespectfully  as  upon  a  visit- 
ing card.  However,  the  poor  fellow,  said  to  be  the  best  of 
all  the  younger  generation,  grandsons  of  Ismail  Pasha,  is 
gone  to  his  last  home,  and  I  hope,  from  the  kind  reply  I 
made  to  his  apology,  was  no  further  distressed  by  the  inci- 
dent. 

January  7  —  Friday.  As  soon  as  I  was  ready  to  sit 
down  comfortably  in  my  office,  American  tourists  and 
visitors  began  to  ask  for  me;  and  as  some  of  them  —  Mr. 
Oothout,  Mr.  Laland,  Mr.  Henszey,  partner  of  Converse, 
Philadelphia,  and  others  —  were  men  of  either  former  ac- 
quaintance or  position,  I  was  obliged  to  see  them  all,  and 
they  kept  me  employed,  the  dozen  or  more,  until  12.20 
P.M.  In  fact,  I  did  not  leave  the  house  all  day  or  evening. 

Louise  went  to  a  tea,  a  musical  one,  —  musical  without 


130  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

referring  to  the  ladies'  voices  or  to  the  bedlam  of  after- 
noon talk,  —  at  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Cooper's;  and  my  sec- 
retary left  cards  for  us  on  the  twenty  or  more  that  needed 
a  return.  We  are  more  and  more  pleased  with  our  chef. 
Some  of  the  dishes  both  at  luncheon  and  dinner  were  very 
fine  and  the  preparation  or  decoration  of  his  macedoine 
of  salad  and  ice,  Mont  Blanc,  were  equal  to  the  best.  To 
bed  early. 

Saturday  —  January  8.  Anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
New  Orleans  with  us  in  the  United  States,  but  here  of  the 
sixth  of  the  ascent  to  the  throne  of  His  Highness  the 
Khedive.  The  ceremonies  began  at  an  early  hour,  about 
7.30,  I  think,  and  lasted  well  into  the  afternoon.  I  — 
rigged  out  in  all  my  war  paint,  Loyal  Legion  decoration 
about  my  neck  and  Grand  Army  Insignium  on  my  left 
breast;  in  imminent  danger  of  tripping  over  my  sword,  an 
instrument  of  warfare  more  dangerous  to  me  than  to  any 
enemy;  with  shoulders  broadened  out  of  all  proportions 
by  the  golden  tasseled  epaulets  that  stopped  my  passage 
through  ordinary  doorways,  unless,  crablike,  I  sideways 
went — was  ready  on  time  to  take  my  naval  chapeau,  laced 

and  golden-knotted  at  the  ends,  in 
hand  for  the  brougham  that  carried 
me  and  the  Second  Secretary  of  the 
Legation  to  the  Palace,  Watts  hav- 
ing left  Cairo  for  upper  Egypt  last  night  at  nine  o'clock 
by  the  train  to  join  his  family  at  Assiut,  on  Cook's  steamer, 
Rameses  III.  The  Sharia  Abdin,  leading  to  the  grand 
square  on  which  the  Palace  faces  three  sides,  was  lined  with 
a  motley  crowd,  mostly  tarbouched,  watching  the  nota- 
bles, gold-laced  and  some  with  plumed  hats,  drive  by.  A 


A  NOTABLE  ANNIVERSARY  131 

regiment  of  infantry  was  stationed  and  presented  arms, 
and  a  band  struck  up  a  national  hymn  as  each  Minister 
appeared.  The  crowd  was  kept  back  by  mounted  police 
and  was  quiet  and  orderly,  far  beyond  any  I  have  ever 
seen  in  Europe  or  America. 

On  arriving  at  the  Palace  I  met  a  number  of  the  Diplo- 
matic Corps,  and  with  them,  through  a  double  file  of 
gold-laced  officials  who  stood  on  each  side  of  the  hall 
that  led  to  the  grand  stairway,  passed  upwards  and 
turned  to  the  left  into  the  noble  reception-room.  After 
all  of  the  Corps,  the  foreign  Consuls  and  the  Secretaries, 
had  assembled,  led  by  Lord  Cromer,  we  were  shown  into 
the  Presence,  and  each  in  turn  shook  hands  with  His  High- 
ness. He  seemed  to  smile  a  full  recognition  to  me  and 
Von  Miiller  only. 

After  this  ceremony  the  Khedive  turned  and  took  his 
seat  on  the  throne  chair,  and  we  ranged  ourselves  on 
either  side.  First,  however,  Lord  Cromer,  for  the  Diplo- 
matic Corps,  spoke  as  follows: 

Le  corps  diplomatique,  ici  reuni,  me  charge  de  vous  temoigner 
ses  meilleures  felicitations  de  1'heureux  anniversaire  de  votre 
avenement  au  trone; 

to  which  His  Highness  responded: 

Veuillez  remercier  tout  le  corps  diplomatique  pour  les  aimables 
souhaits  qu'il  lui  plait  de  me  faire  par  votre  entremise. 

Then  we  all  took  our  places,  as  I  have  said,  ranged  on 
either  side  of  him,  about  forty  in  number,  and  were  served 
with  cigarettes  and  coffee.  The  latter  was  in  jeweled  cups 
that  one  would  like  to  take  away,  —  as  a  memento,  if  you 
will,  but  pocket,  anyhow, — and  alongside,  at  one's  feet,  was 
placed  a  small  gilded  plate  on  which  the  cigarette,  half 


132  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

smoked,  was  thrown  when  the  Khedive  arose,  giving  the 
signal  that  the  reception  was  over.  As  we  passed  out,  he 
shook  hands  again,  and  on  doing  so  I,  American-like,  said 
that  I  hoped  he  was  very  well;  at  which  he  seemed  es- 
pecially pleased,  giving  my  hand  a  notable  pressure  in 
response.  After  the  audience  we  all  entered  the  reception- 
room  on  the  ground  floor  and  there  inscribed  our  names 
in  a  book  that  is  left  for  that  purpose.  My  next  call  was 
on  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  but  as  he  was  not  receiving,  my 
card  was  left.  Then  I  was  driven  out  to  Ghezireh,  where 
I  left  cards  upon  the  Princess  Said  Tussun,  the  widow, 
including  Louise's.  That  done,  I  returned  to  the  Agency, 
resumed  my  ordinary  and  more  comfortable  day  clothes, 
and  remained  indoors  until  I  went  to  bed. 

Sunday  —  January  9.  Rose  at  the  usual  hour,  Sunday 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  and  as  soon  as  I  had 
breakfasted,  my  secretary  and  I,  forgetful  of  the  day, 
hastened  to  put  the  house  in  order.  The  upholsterers  were 
at  work,  and  pictures  were  to  be  hung,  silver  unpacked, 
and  a  hundred  other  things  to  be  done,  and  these  took 
my  time  until  about  eleven  o'clock,  when  Louise  and  I 
started  out  to  take  a  walk.  We  met  Dr.  Sandwith  and 
B  arbour  Lathrop,  Mr.  Tooker  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason, 
and  had  chats  with  them  all.  Mr.  Tooker,  who  has  an  ex- 
quisite villa,  it  is  said,  at  Newport,  a  house  in  New  York, 
and  a  hotel  in  Paris,  who  is  alone,  having  lately  lost  his 
wife,  has  not  been  well.  He  cannot  eat  the  hotel  food  any 
longer,  so  starts  for  Paris  to-morrow  where  he  hopes  for 
home  comforts.  In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  were 
driven  to  the  Zoological  Gardens;  there  we  met  Miss  Lewis, 
with  some  friends;  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Dickinson;  and  with 


DINNER  AT  TIGRANE  PASHA'S          133 

the  last  two  we  sauntered  about  the  Gardens,  visiting  the 
monkey-house,  the  gazelles,  deer,  etc. 

In  the  evening  we  sat  down  to  a  superb  dinner  at  Ti- 
grane  Pasha's,  whose  house  is  truly  a  palace,  built  and 
furnished  in  European,  not  Oriental,  style.  There  were 
at  the  dinner  M.  and  Mme.  Koyander,  M.  and  Mme. 
de  Mohl,  M.,  Mme.  and  Mile,  de  Hoelzske,  the  Russian 
Commissioner  of  the  Caisse  de  la  Dette;  M.  de  Willebois; 
the  Austrian  Colonel  Thurneyssen,  who  was  with  Maxi- 
milian in  Mexico  —  a  good  fellow,  speaks  English  per- 
fectly, and  says  he  loves  Americans;  and  several  others, 
whom  I  have  met  before,  but  whose  names  I  do  not  re- 
member to  have  heard.  Louise  and  I  made,  with  Tigrane 
himself,  a  party  of  sixteen. 

After  dinner  the  men,  having  taken  the  ladies  to  the 
salon,  were  conducted  to  the  smoking-room  and  there  had 
cigars,  cigarettes,  and  coffee,  with  cognac  and  liqueurs 
in  small  glasses.  Finishing  these  in  twenty  minutes,  we 
rejoined  the  ladies,  where  tea  was  served,  Mme.  Koyander 
doing  the  honors.  We  remained  until  10.40.  The  palace 
is  especially  arranged  for  giving  large  entertainments. 
The  salon  was  bright  with  clusters  of  electric  incandescent 
lamps  on  fixtures,  on  the  sides  of  the  walls  Louis  XV  style 
generally,  with  the  addition  of  a  larger  lamp  of  fifty  can- 
dles, with  a  handsome  paper  shade.  After  ascending  the 
entrance  stairway,  one  found  one's  self  on  a  broad,  deep 
landing  where  was  a  divan  facing  him,  on  which  to  place 
his  coat  (the  ladies  as  well).  Three  servants  here  waited  to 
assist.  A  great  mirror  was  on  the  wall  at  the  head  of  the 
stairway,  on  each  side  of  it  low  columns  holding  plants 
in  vases,  and  between  them  and  the  door  that  opened 
into  rooms  on  each  side  were  smaller  mirrors;  then  wide 


134  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

doorways  leading  back  into  a  vestibule  on  which  opened 
three  large  rooms,  the  one  at  the  end  being  the  great 
drawing-room.  At  the  sides  a  billiard-room,  and  opposite 
a  library.  The  furniture  and  decorations  were,  as  I  have 
said,  entirely  European  and  in  the  best  taste.  A  French- 
man, as  maitre  d'hotel,  assisted  by  two  Arab  servants, 
waited  on  the  table,  the  first  serving  the  wine.  First  was 
given  sherry,  then  one's  choice  of  either  claret  or  cham- 
pagne. Nothing  was  served  from  bottles  —  all  from  glass 
highly  engraved. 

Monday  —  January  10.  The  press  notice  copied  here 
tells  of  a  most  enjoyable  day  from  eleven  o'clock: 

Aujourd'hui,  partie  de  "coach"  offerte  par  M.  Barbour  La- 
throp,  a  Madame  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison,  femme  du  ministre 
des  fitats-Unis.  Parmi  les  invites  de  Mme.  Harrison:  Madame 
Somerville,  Judge  Tuck;  Mesdemoiselles  Bend,  Lewis,  trois  jolies 
americaines  fort  remarquees;  Madame  Lawrence  Turnure;  MM. 
de  Galanti,  Bevilacqua,  et  Cortland  Field  Bishop. 

Demain,  diner  a  1'Agence  de  France. 

Demain,  aussi,  bal  a  1'Hotel  Continental. 

Mercredi,  chez  Lady  Cromer,  soiree  dansante,  suivie  de  cotillon. 

Jeudi,  diner  a  1'Agence  d' Italic. 

A  great  day  for  all,  with  an  excellent  champagne  lunch- 
eon that  Mr.  Lathrop  very  generously  provided  for  us  at 
the  hotel.  We  returned  to  the  Agency  about  5.30.  In 
the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  opera  to  hear  "Tro- 
vatore,"  but  remained  only  two  acts,  the  house  being  cold 
and  the  opera  not  very  well  rendered.  Our  own  dinner 
to-day  was  especially  good,  equal  in  delicate  cooking  to 
any  I  have  enjoyed  elsewhere. 

Tuesday  —  January  11.  Too  busy  all  the  morning, 
receiving  callers,  to  get  out  of  the  house.  They  began  to 


Tigrane  Pasha 
Former  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  for  a  time  Prime  Minister 


AN  ATTRACTIVE  HOUSE  135 

arrive  about  ten  o'clock,  the  first  being  a  Mrs.  Johnston 
and  two  daughters,  with  another  young  lady,  all  hailing 
from  Kentucky.  I  found  out,  in  conversation  with  them, 
that  they  were  the  Virginia  Johnstons  and  carried  the 
"winged  spur"  for  crest.  Of  course  we  at  once  acknowl- 
edged relationships. 

Tuesday  being  Louise's  afternoon  to  be  at  home,  effort 
was  made  to  put  the  last  touches  to  the  downstairs  rooms, 
arrange  the  furniture,  finish  hanging  the  pictures,  and 
place  handsome  china  in  the  glass  closet  of  the  dining- 
room,  that  the  house  might  look  its  best.  Indeed  it  was 
very  attractive.  On  the  gray  stone  stairway,  from  the 
front  door  to  the  second  story  landing,  we  had  laid  a  crim- 
son velvet  carpet  that  warmed  and  enriched  needfully 
the  otherwise  unfurnished  and  chill  appearance  of  the 
deadly  gray.  On  the  first  landing,  which  had  been  en- 
tirely covered  with  the  crimson  carpet,  a  rich  rug  was 
spread,  and  on  either  side  of  the  wide  doorway  leading 
into  the  ante-salon,  were  placed  two  carpet-covered  seats 
which  furnished  and  greatly  improved  the  otherwise  bare, 
wide  landing-place. 

On  a  previous  page  I  have  already  described  the  ante- 
salon,  which  remained  as  then,  excepting  on  the  Floren- 
tine and  gilded  columns  there  were  placed  the  two  golden 
idols,  marvelously  carved,  which  were  a  great  improve- 
ment, even  more  than  the  silver  vases  that  had  thereto- 
fore held  the  blushing  roses  and  other  fresh  cut  flowers. 
The  idols,  with  their  stands,  were  at  least  thirty  inches 
high.  I  cannot  describe  them  —  they  must  be  seen  to  be 
appreciated.  Again  the  "den"  orfumoir  was  used  as  the 
principal  reception-room;  but  the  doors  were  open  that 
led  into  the  salon  and  dining-room. 


136  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

The  drawing-room  was  in  readiness,  except  for  the 
hangings  of  yellow  silk  that  are  to  grace  the  four  win- 
dows and  the  two  doors.  The  walls  are  covered  with  a 
rather  magenta-ish  paper  that  had  a  gilt  bronze  small 
pattern  throughout  (I  don't  like  it,  but  it  was  there  from 
Penfield  and  thought  good  enough  to  remain,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  our  Paris  wall-paper) ;  on  the  floor  a  rug  of  mixed 
coloring,  the  magenta  prevailing  —  my  "Soap  Bubble" 
picture  from  home  and  a  half  dozen  more  "oils,"  with 
two  superbly  carved,  framed  mirrors  (Florentine,  1700), 
hung  upon  the  walls.  A  large  gilt  center  table  and  a  con- 
sole at  the  side  supporting  one  of  the  glasses,  with  Louis 
XV  richly  upholstered  chairs,  in  silk  of  broad-striped  de- 
sign; a  sofa  and  some  more  chairs  completely  and  satis- 
factorily furnished  the  room. 

The  dining-room,  to  me,  was  and  is  a  joy.  The  ceiling 
I  had  frescoed,  but  it  needs  the  artist's  coloring  and  draw- 
ing to  depict  the  long-tailed  griffins  and  little  cherubs,  the 
latter  ribbon  in  hand,  as  it  were,  and  holding  the  hanging 
lamp,  that  gives  light  from  above  to  the  table  below. 

I  also  had  the  ceiling  of  the  drawing-room  painted.  It 
represents  the  sky,  with  a  silken  covering,  stretched  and 
apparently  hung  from  above,  protecting  the  space  below 
from  the  glare  and  sun  —  a  very  artistic  piece  of  work. 
The  walls  of  the  dining-room  are  papered  with  a  flowered 
dull  muddy  blue  —  the  flowers  all  in  dark  colors.  A 
beautiful  paper  in  itself  and  selected  by  Louise  rather 
to  furnish  the  walls  because  she  feared  a  lack  of  pictures 
might  make  them  seem  bare.  Both  she  and  I  would  have 
preferred  the  same  a  blue,  or  dark  olive,  as  the  color  of 
our  own  dining-room  at  1520  Locust  Street,  but  we  could 
not  find  either  to  our  satisfaction.  We  managed  to  hold 


A  BEAUTIFUL  INTERIOR  137 

back  from  the  salon  and  den  enough  "oils"  to  fairly  fur- 
nish. There  are  seven  in  all  —  the  most  notable  of  which 
is  Sani's  picture  of  the  "Girl  carrying  the  Chicken,"  life- 
size.  The  buffet  is  mahogany,  as  is  also  the  dining-table, 
both  richly  inlaid.  The  service  table  has  a  high  mirror 
upon  it,  and  it  and  the  "vitnines"  (glass-doored  closets 
holding  the  china  and  glass)  are  of  ebony,  elaborately  in- 
laid with  ivory,  after  the  Florentine  fashion.  We  had, 
too,  many  of  our  home  plates,  gilt-edged  glassware,  and 
much  of  our  silver  service,  bright  and  brilliant,  placed,  as 
Oakes  Ames  said,  "where  it  would  do  most  good."  The 
dining-table,  without  cloth,  held  bonbons  and  cakes  of 
various  kinds  made  by  our  chef,  also  the  tea-service,  with 
cups  and  saucers,  plates  of  sandwiches,  and  other  acces- 
sories. 

Our  first  caller  was  Dean  Butcher,  the  head  of  the  Eng- 
lish church  here.  He  was  soon  followed  by  the  Countess 
Montjoie  and  her  daughter;  and  then  followed  the  crowd 
which  afterwards  nearly  filled  the  four  rooms  that  were 
thrown  open,  not  less  than  one  hundred  being  constantly 
present,  the  visitors  coming  and  going.  The  last  of  these 
made  her  departure  at  6.40.  The  afternoon  had  been  a 
great  success;  every  one  seemed  surprised  at  the  beauty 
of  the  interior  of  the  house,  and  those  who  knew  it  in 
Penfield's  time  expressed  unbounded  astonishment  at  the 
metamorphosis. 

We  were  too  tired  to  go  out  in  the  evening,  and  know- 
ing we  were  likely  to  be,  had  refused  the  great  ball  at  the 
Continental.  I  took  my  comfortable  chair  in  the  den  after 
dinner,  smoked  and  read  the  last  number  of  the  Paris 
"Herald,"  and  then  finished  by  9.30,  dropped  off  into  a 
nap.  By  10.30  we  were  all  ready  for  bed. 


138  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Wednesday  —  January  12.  Received  visitors  and  wrote 
letters  all  the  morning.  In  the  afternoon  was  driven  to 
Abbassieh  to  make  my  dinner  call  on  Colonel  Martin  and 
the  Twenty-first  Lancers.  Called  as  well  on  Tigrane  Pasha, 
the  Gibsons,  and  Hillhouses,  at  Shepheard's.  Had  a  capi- 
tal dinner  at  home,  eight  sitting  down;  and  in  the  evening, 
starting  at  10.30,  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Cromer  ball. 

Although  the  house,  or  palace,  is  quite  large,  the  rooms, 
excepting  the  ballroom,  are  comparatively  small,  the  larg- 
est not  being  over  22  x  28  feet,  and  many  of  even  less  size. 
The  salle-de-danse,  or  ballroom,  is,  I  should  say,  about 
30  x  50,  handsome,  well  lighted  from  above,  about  the 
cornice,  by  incandescent  lamps;  walls  white  and, a  wain- 
scot of  the  same,  in  enamel. 

Lady  Cromer  received  just  at  the  entrance  of  this  apart- 
ment, where  one  might  either  pass  in  or  turn  to  the  left 
and  enter  the  music-room,  which  in  reality  is  the  living- 
room.  Here  a  good  fire  was  burning  in  an  open  fireplace 
and  it  was  very  acceptable,  even  though  there  were  some 
five  to  six  hundred  people  crowded  into  the  house.  Louise 
was  soon  taken  up  by  a  number  of  men  —  Prince  Hussein, 
my  friend  the  Austrian  Colonel,  but  whose  name  I  al- 
ways forget,  and  the  French  Minister,  being  of  those 
whom  I  recognized.  I  strolled  off  and  met  Mrs.  Kennedy, 
sister  of  Lord  Randolph  Churchill,  I  think,  who  with  her 
husband  took  the  beautiful  palace  that  we  would  have 
liked  to  secure.  We  afterwards  found  two  vacant  chairs 
and  had  a  very  comfortable  looking-on-time  together  for 
a  half-hour  or  so. 

I  talked  with  Lady  Grenfell,  Countess  della  Sala,  Mrs. 
Bend,  from  New  York,  Miss  de  Willebois,  Mrs.  Gordon, 
wife  of  my  friend  the  Major,  and  a  lot  of  others.  It  was 


A  BALL  AT  LORD  CROMER'S  139 

unexciting  enough  with  them  all,  except  Mrs.  Bend  and 
Miss  de  Willebois,  who  both  had  original  ideas  and  vi- 
vacity. 

There  was  a  buffet  where  one  could  get  lemonade,  cham- 
pagne cup, — two  parts  of  water  and  one  of  wine, —  tea 
and  coffee,  up  to  about  11.30,  when  the  same  table,  in 
shape  of  a  square  horseshoe,  was  spread  with 
cold  ham,  cold  tongue,  and  cold  chicken. 
Sandwiches  of  salad,  anchovy,  caviar,  etc., 
were  also  to  be  found.  The  only  wine  I  saw  given  was 
tisane  of  champagne.  The  three  Indian  servants,  most 
gorgeously  attired  in  white  and  gold,  with  enormous  tur- 
bans, assisted  by  a  couple  of  Arabs,  stood  behind  the  tables 
and  helped  out  the  cold  comforts ! !  What  a  comparison 
between  this  meager  collation  and  a  generous  Philadelphia 
or  American  hot  supper  with  terrapin,  and  all  the  rest! 
r>  Then,  too,  the  veranda  had  been  enclosed  only  with 
hanging  canvas  and  was  made  to  serve  as  the  supper- 
room,  enough  to  put  the  women,  heated  from  the  dance, 
and  decolletees,  in  their  graves.  I  found  it  too  cold,  with 
the  little  inducement  to  remain,  to  rest  longer  than  enough 
to  taste  the  tisane,  eat  a  slice  of  tongue,  and  look  about 
me  to  see  what  was  being  served.  Lord  Gromer  had  to 
keep  his  room,  a  sore  throat  which  had  been  troubling 
him  for  a  week  or  more  being  the  active  cause.  Happy 
Lord  Cromer;  welcome  sore  throat!  He  was  freed  from 
the  boredom  of  the  Vanity  Fair  below. 

Thursday  —  January  13.  My  coachman  called  for  me 
at  9.30  with  "Bay  Harrison,"  and  gave  me  a  spin  around 
Ghezireh  Island.  For  extreme  speed  the  horse  is  ruined, 
but  he  can  show  a  "forty"  clip  without  any  trouble,  and 


140  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

that  is  faster  than  any  animal  can  trot  in  this  country. 
The  Prince  has  been  speeding  him,  pulling  a  heavy  cart 
and  sometimes  as  many  as  six  men;  driving  him  fast  with 
a  loose  rein  and  not  controlling  him  when  about  to  break 
—  shoeing  him  like  a  cart  horse.  In  fact,  the  whole  treat- 
ment has  been  one  of  ignorance  as  to  how  the  American 
trotter  should  be  worked.  Fero  is  to  go  to-morrow  morn- 
ing to  drive  the  Prince  and  show  him  how  to  handle  a 
trotter. 

Received  a  charming  mail  from  America.  In  the  after- 
noon at  five  o'clock  Louise  and  I  started  out  to  make 
calls.  We  got  in  at  the  Countess  della  Sala's,  also  at  Mme. 
Cogordan's  (wife  of  the  French  Minister).  For  the  first 
time  we  had  our  two  sices  run  ahead  of  our  carriage.  They 
made  a  brave  show  with  their  white  shirts,  red  sleeves, 
and  richly  embroidered  jackets  in  gold.  Ahmet  has  a 
grand  voice  and  his  warning  cry  could  have  been  heard 
two  blocks  away! 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  Tugini's  (the  Italian  Minis- 
ter's) dinner,  and  it  was  one  of  the  best  to  which  we  have 
sat  down  in  all  respects:  dinner,  beauty  of  the  table  decora- 
tions, and  the  manner  of,  or  the  appearance  of,  the  dishes 
that  were  served,  and  their  good  flavor,  as  well  as  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  wines. 

Coffee  was  served  to  the  ladies  in  the  salon  and  to  the 
men  in  the  fumoir.  There  were  about  twenty  present. 
The  dinner  was  evidently  given  to  us,  for  Tugini  took  in 
Louise,  and  I  Mme.  Tugini.  I  noticed  the  Countess 
Montjoie  and  daughter,  Baron  (and  Baroness)  von  Billow, 
one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Mixed  Tribunal;  M.  and  Mme. 
de  Mohl;  the  Persian  Minister,  Faradjalla  Khan;  Mrs. 
Wingate,  wife  of  the  Colonel,  who  is  at  the  head  of  the 


AGRICULTURAL  EXHIBITION  141 

Information  Department  of  the  Egyptian  Army  and  has 
Slatin  Bey  for  his  principal  aide;  Countess  "Somebody," 
sister  of  Mme.  Tugini.  We  found  the  house  as  cold  as  a 
cellar,  Louise  and  other  ladies  being  obliged,  after  return 
to  the  salon  from  dinner,  to  put  on  their  cloaks  and  wraps. 
The  house  is  a  superb  palace,  but  built  only  for  the  hot 
season,  with  the  idea  of  keeping  cool;  on  one  floor,  with 
ceilings  forty  feet  high;  no  sleeping-rooms  —  they  in  a 
chalet  alongside.  All  the  palace  is  given  up  to  entertain- 
ment apartments.  Fero  took  us  and  brought  us  back  be- 
hind "Lady  Knox"  and  "Nellie  Bly."  Home  by  10.40. 
Louise  made  a  cup  of  tea  and  I  went  to  bed! 

Friday  —  January  14.  In  the  office  all  the  morning. 
Wrote  half  a  dozen  letters  home,  notably  to  Wilson  Eyre, 
concerning  an  opening  for  a  young  doctor,  whose  coming 
here  I  advised  against  excepting  under  certain  condi- 
tions, namely,  ability  to  support  himself  for  at  least  three 
years;  and  that  he  must  learn  to  speak,  besides  English, 
French,  Italian,  and  the  Arab  languages;  to  Gregerson, 
Billy  Nichols,  and  a  postscript  to  John,  enclosing  copy 
of  my  letter  to  Dr.  Wilson,  of  the  Philadelphia  Com- 
mercial Museums. 

At  two  o'clock  I  went  with  Louise  to  the  Esbekieh 
Gardens,  to  meet  the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  assist,  with 
the  Khedive  and  his  Court,  to  open  the  Fourth  Agricul- 
tural Exhibition.  The  ceremonies  were  very  simple,  at 
the  same  time  imposing,  and  the  exhibit  of  products  quite 
remarkable,  especially  in  sugar,  cotton,  the  small  grains, 
and  garden  produce.  His  Highness,  as  he  approached  the 
reception-tent,  shook  hands  with  the  Corps  and  their 
ladies  and  invited  guests,  who  were  lined  up  on  either 


142  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

side  of  a  carpet  spread  from  the  gateway.  Lord  Cromer 
was  confined  to  his  house  with  a  sore  throat.  Lady  Cromer, 
escorted  by  the  Khedive,  accompanied  him  throughout 
the  tour. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  an  entertainment  at  M. 
Cinadino's,  the  Egyptian  representative  of  the  Roths- 
childs—  an  entertainment  of  amateur  theatricals  and 
tableaux  vivants.  I  append  a  programme: 

PROGRAMME 

Vendredi  14  Janvier  1898 

Premiere  Partie 

APRES  LE  BAL 

Comedie  en  un  acte 

Personnages 

Caudebec Mr.  P.  Dilberlogue 

Henriette  Dumonteil Mme.  E.  Negreponte 

Deuxieme  Partie 
NOCES  D'OR  DE  M.  ET  MME.  DENIS 

Scene  comique  en  un  acte 
CHANTS  —  DANSES  —  TABLEAUX  VIVANTS 

TABLEAUX 

Mesdames  R.  Cattaui,  Harrari  Bey,  Hunter,  Ivanoff,  Th.  Ralli 
et  Mademoiselle  Gorst 

DANSES 

Mesdames  J.  Cattaui,  Kinsbury,  E.  Negreponte,  Rodd,  et  Mes- 

demoiselles  de  Martino,  Maskins,  Mog,  Therese,  et  Polly 

Cinadino 

CHANTS 

Cavalleria  Rusticana Mr.  Borgatti 

Accompagnement  de  Harpe Mme.  Cimini 

Pagliacci Mr.  Borgatti 

COUPLETS 
Messieurs  Caprara,  Nubar  Innes 


AMATEUR  THEATRICALS  143 

Without  exception  they  were  the  best  and  most  enter- 
taining of  any  I  had  before  seen.  That,  however,  is  not 
saying  much  or  doing  them  justice.  Great  expense  had 
been  the  result  to  the  host.  There  was  an  orchestra  of 
more  than  a  dozen  pieces;  a  stage  with  top  and  footlights 
had  been  made,  and  except  trapdoors  all  was  there  that 
pertained  to  a  theater.  Besides  the  tableaux  and  acting, 
we  had  recitations  and  singing,  dancing  the  Gavotte  and 
other  dances,  including  a  Chinese  pas  seul!  With  the  tab- 
leaux were  two  characters,  who  comically  talked,  sang,  and 
danced.  Altogether  it  was  most  entertaining  and  surpris- 
ing. Everybody  was  there  who  made  up  the  creme  de  la 
creme  of  Cairo  high  life,  including  the  princes  of  the  blood, 
the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and  the  Ministers.  With  the  ladies, 
decolletees,  and  in  their  best  gowns,  framed  in  the  beauti- 
fully and  tastefully  decorated  rooms,  the  scene  was  one  long 
to  be  remembered.  We  left  when  supper  was  announced  at 
midnight. 

Saturday  —  January  15.  To-day  has  been  quite  un- 
eventful. Judge  Tuck  dropped  hi  just  before  luncheon 
and  remained  with  us  to  the  worst  meal  ('t  was  ever  thus) 
the  chef  has  served.  My  note  to  Prince  Mehemet  Ali, 
who  called  to  see  me  on  Thursday  afternoon,  and  whom 
I  invited  to  breakfast  on  Sunday,  23d,  has  as  yet  had  no 
response.  I  sent  to  him  the  list  of  those  I  proposed  to 
invite  to  meet  him,  as  he  himself  would  suggest  no  one 
but  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies,  and  now  that  I  do 
not  hear,  I  am  uncertain  what  to  do.  What  I  will  do, 
should  I  not  hear  to-day,  will  be  to  invite  my  list,  willy- 
nilly. 

In  the  afternoon  the  German  Minister  called,  but  the 


144  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

boab  told  him  I  was  not  at  home,  the  stupid  fool!  I  had 
an  appointment  with  him  between  two  and  four  o'clock, 
and  he  called  at  3.45.  I  had  gone  to  my  room  to  change 
my  coat,  to  go  out  afterwards,  and  because  I  was  not  in 
my  office  the  boab  took  for  granted,  without  inquiry,  that 
I  had  left  the  house,  although  he  had  been  constantly  on 
guard  at  the  door.  Of  course  I  had  to  send  a  note  at  once 
to  the  Legation,  and  with  it  I  sent  the  photograph  of  the 
procession  to  the  Palace  for  the  "Solemn  Audience,"  a 
copy  of  which  appears  in  this  book.  Von  Miiller  had  just 
gone  through  this  same  ceremony  and  wanted  to  see  how 
much  of  a  circus  he  had  made  as  well! 

I  went  afterwards  to  find  a  glass  chandelier  for  the 
salon,  and  to  select  a  couple  of  carpets  in  place  of  the  two 
that  I  have,  but  do  not  like,  and  was  very  successful. 
In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  had  a  night  off,  and  I  enjoyed 
it,  looking  over  the  files  of  the  "Public  Ledger"  from  the 
25th  to  the  29th. 

Sunday  —  January  16.  Went  to  All  Saints'  Church  in 
the  morning  and  sat  in  the  front  pew,  that  which  is  re- 
served (?)  for  the  American  Diplomatic  Agent.  Service 
entirely  choral  and  very  long,  not  to  say  tedious.  The 
assistant  preached  a  rather  Ghadbandish  sermon,  which, 
thoughtfully  and  happily,  was  not  of  Presbyterian  length. 
After  church  took  a  walk  with  Louise  and  after  luncheon 
I  called  on  the  new  Danish  Minister  at  the  Continental, 
and  Lieutenant-General  Grant  and  wife.  The  last  two 
were  at  home,  a  charming  old  English  couple.  The  Minis- 
ter was  out. 

In  the  evening  went  to  a  deferred  dinner  of  the  Minis- 
ter of  Holland,  M.  de  Willebois.  His  wife  had  invited  us 


Solemn  Audience"  Procession 


DINNER  AT  THE  DUTCH  MINISTER'S     145 

for  the  8th  but  was  obliged  to  defer  the  dinner  until  last 
night,  as  Madame  was  obliged  to  leave  Cairo  and  go  to 
Helouan  for  her  health.  She  had  not  sufficiently  recov- 
ered to  preside.  Her  daughters  very  prettily  and  accept- 
ably did  the  honors  with  their  father.  There  were  but 
eleven  at  the  dinner,  the  wife  of  the  French  Minister, 
Mme.  Cogordan,  having  been  detained  at  home  on 
account  of  her  daughter's  illness.  Boutros  Pasha,  the 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  the  French  Minister,  and 
First  Secretary  and  wife,  and  so  on.  The  dinner  was  ex- 
tremely good,  but  not  one  of  finesse.  One  dish  I  liked 
especially,  ham  and  spinach!  De  Willebois  receives  a 
ham  each  week,  by  colis  postales,  from  Austria!  There 
was  no  fire  made  in  either  salon  or  dining-room,  so  the 
house  was  colder  than  a  barn,  and  Louise  and  the  other 
ladies  had  to  wear  their  fur  cloaks,  too  ridiculous  to  see! 
I  gave  Boutros  one  of  my  coal-oil  stoves  and  am  to  send 
Fero  with  it  to-morrow  to  his  palace  and  show  him  how 
to  work  it. 

Monday  —  January  17.  The  following  clipping  from 
the  "Journal  Egyptien"  of  to-day: 

A  I'excursion  a  Sakarah  offerte  par  M.  Turnure  assistaient: 
Mme.  et  Miles.  Bend,  le  capitaine  et  Miles.  Stanley  Bird,  Mme. 
Brown,  M.  et  Mile.  Gorst,  M.  et  Mme.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison, 
Mme.  Hunter,  Mile.  Lewis,  le  baron  Oppenheim,  MM.  Prevost, 
Cortland  Bishop,  David  Wolfe  Bishop. 

Remained  indoors  all  day,  busy  morning  and  afternoon. 
Judge  Tuck,  who  lunched  with  us,  discussed  with  me  for 
over  an  hour  the  circular  proposing  alterations  in  pro- 
ceedings before  the  Mixed  Tribunals  and  the  opinion  of 
Judge  Keeley  anent,  which  I  had  the  Judge's  permission 
to  show  to  Tuck. 


146  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Among  a  number  of  visitors  who  called  during  the  after- 
noon were  the  new  Danish  Minister  and  Mr.  Henszey, 
the  latter  a  partner  in  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works. 
Mme.  Acton,  wife  of  the  Italian  Vice-Consul-General, 
called  and  made  Louise  a  long  visit.  By  appointment, 
Mme.  Koyander  took  tea  at  five  o'clock  yesterday  after- 
noon with  us,  especially  to  see  the  house  without  a  crowd. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  opera,  with  Miss  Lewis 
and  Major  Patterson  in  our  loge,  and  heard  "La  Boheme" 
of  Puccini  (beautifully  rendered,  the  orchestra  being  es- 
pecially fine).  We  did  not  remain  for  the  ballet,  but  were 
home  by  11.30,  leaving  Miss  Lewis,  my  secretary,  and 
Major  Patterson.  During  the  day  I  received  delightful 
letters  from  Emily  Barnes,  Baker,  and  Langmuir. 

Tuesday  —  January  18.  Again  remained  indoors  all 
day,  busy,  I  don't  know  with  what,  except  with  official 
business  and  superintending  the  unpacking  and  distri- 
bution, in  their  several  closets,  of  the  different  qualities 
of  wines  that,  until  now,  with  the  exception  of  a  case  or 
so,  had  remained  unopened  in  the  cellar.  Being  Tuesday, 
Louise's  day,  I  made  no  arrangement  to  drive,  and  well 
I  did  not,  for  the  house  was  again  full  of  people,  mostly 
Americans,  from  about  3  until  6.45.  The  house  did  really 
look  rich  and  handsome.  We  received  any  amount  of 
compliments.  What  struck  the  foreigners  most  was  the 
temperature,  for  it  was  cold  outdoors  and  about  sixty- 
six  degrees  within,  and  they  were  enthusiastic  over  the 
hot-water  heater,  which  truly  has  been  and  is  a  great  com- 
fort. Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
and  Faradjalla  Khan,  the  Persian  Minister,  were  among 
the  callers.  We  had  a  quiet  evening  at  home,  Louise  de- 


A  FORMAL  HOUSE  DINNER  147 

clining  for  us  both  all  invitations  for  Tuesday  night.  For 
all  such  blessings  make  us  truly  thankful,  say  I ! 

Wednesday  —  January  19.  Full  of  work  and  visitors 
until  11.30,  when  I  took  a  stroll  around  to  my  stable  to 
see  "Lady  Knox's"  leg  (no  improper  allusion,  I  assure 
you)  and  found  it  filling  up,  but  still  with  an  angry  and 
ugly  look.  The  wound  is  in  such  a  bad  place,  just  forward 
on  the  inside  of  the  hock  joint,  it  will  be  months,  if  at  all, 
before  the  place  is  covered  over.  Bought  some  books 
and  photographs.  We  gave  our  first  formal  house  dinner 
this  evening  and  thought  it  wisest  to  try  our  cook  and 
waiter  upon  our  friends,  the  Americans,  the  only  "out- 
siders" being  Brewster  Bey  (Khedive's  secretary)  and 
wife. 

Our  guests  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Dana  Gibson, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hillhouse  (she  a  cousin  of  J.  Addison  Por- 
ter, and  brought  letters  of  introduction),  Brewster  Bey 
and  wife,  B arbour  Lathrop,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bacon  (Emmy's 
friend,  sister  of  Mrs.  Tunstal  Smith).  Louise,  my  secre- 
tary, and  myself  made  the  party  to  twelve.  The  table 
was  simply  but  tastefully  spread.  The  large  ("A  Lamm" 
one  hundred  years  old)  yellow  fruit  stand  in  the  center 
—  no  "footy"  little  silver  things  with  nuts,  etc.,  only 
two  gilt  dishes  with  marrons  and  preserved 
and  candied  fruits,  besides  the  candlesticks, 
of  which  there  were  four,  two  with  three 
branches  and  two  single.  A  wreath  of  small  crimson  roses, 
with  sufficient  green  of  stems  and  leaves,  encircled  the 
table.  The  pink  Tuileries  plates,  with  the  Beauties  of  the 
Empire,  were  used  as  service  plates.  The  soup  was  excel- 
lent; the  bouchees,  ditto;  the  fish  was  too  "hotel-y"  — 


148  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and  the  sauce  poor;  saddle  of  mutton  could  not  have  been 
better;  chaud-froid  —  a  beautiful  dish,  but  I  do  not  like 
cold  things;  punch  —  good;  becassines,  good  —  hot,  but 
served  in  a  very  curious  way,  with  the  wings  standing  up, 
with  all  the  feathers,  though  they  were  really  detached 
from  the  birds;  salad,  poor;  asperges  and  sauce,  good;  ice 
cream,  for  a  wonder,  poor.  The  wines  were  McCrackin's 
exquisite  sherry;  sauterne  from  Mortimer  and  Company, 
Perrier,  Jouet  et  O,  champagne,  1889;  mouton  Rothschild 
served  with  the  snipe,  from  a  tray  in  small  glasses;  port 
with  the  ice  cream.  Afterwards,  in  the  salon  for  the  ladies, 
coffee  with  green  mint  was  served;  and  the  same  for  the 
men,  with  "fine  champagne"  and  cigars  added,  in  the 
smoking-room.  They  remained  until  11.25,  too  long  by  an 
hour,  but  due  mostly  to  the  long  stay  of  the  men  with 
their  smoke. 

Thursday  —  January  20.  Early  at  work,  say  eight 
o'clock,  in  my  office,  and  before  my  "little  breakfast," 
I  had  read  the  greater  part  of  a  very  acceptable  and 
heavy  mail  that  arrived  last  late  night.  A  part  of  this  I 
acknowledged  before  going  to  Shepheard's  to  greet  Mrs. 
Cornelius  Stevenson,  who  had  arrived  by  the  Normania, 
reaching  Cairo  at  9  P.M.  I  found  her  without  much  of  a 
wait  —  for  Shepheard's!  She  had  had  a  very  pleasant 
voyage  over,  having  some  Philadelphia  friends,  the 
Henry  Biddies  and  a  Miss  Ware,  on  board;  also  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hamilton  Fish  with  a  party.  We  at  once  entered 
upon  the  business  that  brought  her  over  —  the  grant  to 
the  American  Exploration  Society  to  excavate  at  Tanis, 
and  I  engaged  to  drive  her  down  to  see  M.  Loret,  at 
Ghizeh,  to-morrow  morning  at  10.30. 


Mrs.  Cornelius  Stevenson 


PRINCESS  NASELI  149 

In  the  afternoon  at  4.30,  by  appointment  (with  per- 
mission to  the  Countess  della  Sala  to  take  us),  we  visited 
the  Princess  Naseli,  one  of  Ismail  Pasha's  daughters,  and 
said  to  be  the  most  enlightened  of  Turkish  women.  She 
has  burst  through  the  bounds  of  harem  exclusiveness  and 
openly  receives  the  visits  of  such  men  as  she  may  desire  to 
see :  a  woman  of  about  fifty  years,  perhaps  more,  with  an 
intellectual  countenance,  her  eyes  especially  fine,  a  large, 
rather  Roman,  nose,  good  mouth,  and  resolute  chin. 

While  Louise  talked  and  she  replied,  or  while  she  her- 
self provoked  conversation,  I  noted  especially  her  selec- 
tion of  words  and  the  subjects  of  the  talk,  which  more  or 
less  turned  upon  the  relation  of  the  sexes  in  Oriental 
countries  as  compared  with  those  of  the  Europeans.  She 
spoke  English  very  well,  and  surprised  me  with  evidence 
of  her  intellectual  gifts  and  acquirements.  She  corrected 
Louise  as  to  the  marriage  of  Lady  Jane  Grey,  and  showed 
very  plainly  that  historical  literature  had  not  been  the 
least  of  her  studies.  We  remained  about  a  half-hour.  She 
offered  her  hand  for  me  to  kiss  on  arriving  and  departing, 
and  I  gallantly  availed  myself  of  the  privilege ! ! 

While  we  sat,  cigarettes  and  coffee  were  passed.  She 
partook  of  both.  The  palace,  or  harem,  is  situated  on  a 
narrow  street  back  of  Abdin  Palace.  One  enters  first  a 
rather  small  garden,  and  then  a  doorway  leading  into  a 
reception  hall.  Passing  through  that  into  a  large  room 
and  from  that  to  a  stairway,  one  mounts  two  flights  of 
steps  to  the  rooms  above.  The  ceiling  of  the  ground  floor 
was  at  least  twenty-five  feet  high,  consequently  it  was 
quite  a  climb  to  the  living-rooms.  On  reaching  the  land- 
ing we  turned  to  the  left  and  were  shown  into  the  salon, 
a  room  at  least  fifty  feet  square.  It  was  fully  but  not 


150  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

tastefully  furnished  —  a  mixture  of  Oriental  with  Euro- 
pean forms  and  stuffs.  I  suppose  it  would  be  called  richly 
furnished.  There  were  many  gilt  chairs,  etc.,  and  brocade 
covers  and  hangings,  but  the  colors  were  not  well  chosen. 
I  noticed  a  grand  piano,  and,  in  the  center  of  the  room, 
one  of  those  circular  sofas,  so  common  in  the  palaces 
in  Europe.  The  carpet  was  an  ugly  English  one,  one  of 
those  large  patterns  which,  when  you  see  them  in  the 
shops,  you  wonder  who  on  earth  could  have  the  bad  taste 
to  buy  them!  I  well  remember  the  patterns  and  colors, 
by  taking  my  memory  back  to  the  window  on  Chestnut 
Street  of  the  Dobson  Carpet  Store! 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  opera  and  heard  Gior- 
dano's "Andrea  Chenier"  most  acceptably  given.  It  was 
beautifully  mounted  and  very  well  sung.  The  orchestra 
was  especially  fine.  Borgatti  was  in  good  voice  and  Men- 
dioroz  as  Maddalena  equaled  her  rendering  of  Elsa  in 
"Lohengrin."  Annie  Frazier,  and  her  niece,  Miss  Ogden, 
had  been  invited  and  were  in  our  box.  We  left  at  11.30, 
the  end  of  the  third  act.  They  say  the  fourth  and  final 
act  is  the  best,  but  it  was  a  matter  of  a  wait  of  twenty 
minutes,  first  for  the  entr'acte,  and  then  the  act  itself —  alto- 
gether an  hour,  and  that  for  us  was  too  long.  On  reaching 
home  the  butler  had  in  a  few  minutes  in  the  dining-room 
a  pot  of  hot  tea  and  some  cold  meat  with  bread  and  but- 
ter, so  we  did  not  really  get  to  bed,  after  my  cigar,  until 
nearly  one  o'clock.  But  it  would  have  been  two  had  we 
remained  until  the  opera  had  been  finished  and  taken  the 
bite  afterwards. 

Friday  — January  21.  After  getting  through  my  rou- 
tine work  I  called,  by  appointment,  on  Mrs.  Stevenson, 


Princess  Naseli 


THE  UNDER-SECRETARY  151 

at  Shepheard's,  to  take  her  to  the  Museum  to  see  M. 
Loret.  The  day  was  fine,  but  the  wind  high  and  from 
the  north,  and  cold.  Loret  had  gone  up  the  river,  and  if 
Brugsch  Bey  is  to  be  believed,  his  journey  there  is  more 
in  the  nature  of  a  junketing  trip  with  his  family,  on  the 
Government  dahabeah,  than  for  any  useful  result.  We 
were  disappointed,  of  course,  at  not  seeing  Loret,  but 
we  spent  a  half-hour,  not  without  value,  I  hope,  with 
Brugsch  Bey,  who  advised  us  of  the  situation  as  he  saw 
it;  and  counseled  us  to  interview  Sir  William  Garstin  at 
once,  as  he  was  really  the  head  and  front  of  the  whole 
question,  and  what  he  said  would  "go." 

The  nominal  head  of  the  Board  of  Public  Works  — 
which  includes  railways,  irrigation,  drainage,  in  fact, 
with  other  things,  all  matters  appertaining  to  land  —  is 
Fakhri  Pasha  (Hussein  Fakhri),  one  of  the  Khedive's 
Council;  but  the  real  head  is  Sir  William  E.  Garstin, 
K.G.M.G.,  an  Englishman,  of  course,  and  called  the 
Under-Secretary.  All  of  the  departments  are  so  pro- 
vided; that  is,  there  is  a  Turk,  or,  if  you  will,  an  Egyp- 
tian (though  sometimes,  as  in  the  case  of  Boutros  Pasha 
Ghali,  a  Gopt),  a  figurehead,  who  is  the  nominal  chief  and 
one  of  His  Highness's  Ministers;  but  the  real  power  is 
with  the  Under-Secretary,  who  in  his  turn  represents  the 
English  power.  He  has  been  nominated  for  the  post  by 
Lord  Cromer,  the  real  power  behind  the  throne.  He  pulls 
such  strings  as  he  at  times  may  think  proper,  and  all 
dance  as  he  wills.  To  his  credit  be  it  said,  his  "pulling" 
is  for  the  greater  part,  if  not  in  all  (and  I  am  not  prepared 
to  denyeven  that),  in  the  interest  of  Egypt  and  good  gov- 
ernment, with,  of  course,  always  in  view  the  supremacy 
of  Great  Britain. 


152  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

After  taking  Mrs.  Stevenson  back  to  Shepheard's,  I 
wrote  a  note  to  Sir  William,  asking  him  to  name  a  day  and 
hour  to  receive  us,  and  now  await  his  reply.  The  after- 
noon was  taken  up  receiving  callers,  among  whom  was  a 
very  delightful  fellow,  a  Mr.  George  Baldwin  Newell,  of 
Madison,  New  Jersey,  formerly  of  New  York,  and  a  law- 
yer there,  although  he  told  me  he  had  given  up  practice 
on  marrying.  He  brought  letters  of  introduction  from 
J.  Bonsall  Taylor  and  W.  C.  Strawbridge.  A  handsome, 
stylish  man,  but  unfortunately  a  little  deaf,  which  made 
it  somewhat  difficult  to  enjoy  his  company.  About  four 
o'clock  came  a  communication  from  the  Grand  Master 
of  Ceremonies  saying  that  Their  Highnesses  the  Khediveh 
mere  and  the  Khediveh  would  receive  Louise  and  such 
American  ladies  as  had  been  named  by  her,  through  me, 
to  be  presented.  They  were  about  a  dozen  in  number, 
and  such  a  scurrying  as  was  done  to  get  word  to  them. 
Then  at  the  last  moment  the  names  of  the  ladies  were  sent 
to  Louise;  another  note  had  to  be  written  to  Hassan 
Assam  and  more  correspondence  with  the  expectant 
dames! 

Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Countess  Montjoie's  to  din- 
ner, to  meet  the  Princess  Naseli,  upon  whom  we  called 
yesterday.  At  the  table  were  the  French  Minister  and 
Mme.  Cogordan,  the  German  Minister,  two  young  gen- 
tlemen whom  I  did  not  know,  the  daughter  of  the  Coun- 
tess, who  is  a  very  pretty  and  bright  young  woman  of,  say, 
about  twenty,  M.  and  Mme.  de  Mohl,  besides  the  Prin- 
cess, the  Countess,  Louise,  and  myself.  I  took  the  Coun- 
tess to  the  table;  she  sat  on  one  side  and  the  Princess 
immediately  opposite  (where  the  husband  would  ordi- 
narily sit,  the  seat  of  honor),  I  on  the  right  of  the  Coun- 


Hussein  Fakhri  Pasha 


PRINCESS  NASELI  153 

tess,  and  Louise  on  the  left  with  M.  de  Mohl  between. 
I  am  thus  particular  to  note  these  apparent  trifles  as  a 
guide  in  placing  at  my  own  table. 

We  were  invited  to  private  theatricals  by  Mrs.  Rennell 
Rodd  (the  programme  follows),  but  it  was  so  late  when 
we  rose  from  the  dinner  that  we  gave  up  the  thought  of 
going.  The  play  was  at  the  charming  little  restaurant 
and  house  in  the  Esbekieh  Gardens  and  promised  to  be 
very  good. 

PROGRAMME 
"BREAKING  THE  ICE" 

Miss  Marton Miss  Baring 

Captain  Selby Mr.  R.  Rodd 

"A  SCHOOL  FOR  COQUETTES" 

Lady  Glenmorris Mrs.  R.  Rodd 

Lady  Amaranthe  Alwill Miss  Needham 

Perkup Miss  Fane 

Sir  Aubrey  Glenmorris Mr.  R.  Rodd 

Colonel  Lord  Arthur  Bramble Lord  Granville 

Sir  Basil  Bodkin Captain  Peel 

Miss  Baring,  Hon.  W.  Baring,  etc. 

I  had  quite  a  long  talk  with  the  Princess  and  wish  I 
could,  like  a  good  interviewer,  remember  what  was  said. 
She  was  very  interesting  in  her  views  expressed  on  the 
difference  of  the  treatment  of  women;  the  rights  of  the 
men  in  Oriental  countries;  marriage,  divorce,  and  thor- 
oughly democratic  government  by  an  autocrat  —  a  con- 
tradiction so  absolute  as  only  to  be  compared  with  the 
absolutism  of  a  Sultan!  What  she  meant  was  that  there 
were  no  titles  of  nobility  in  Mohammedan  countries,  and 
that  the  poorest  of  them,  if  capable,  might  be  Grand 
Vizier,  as  had  frequently  been  the  case.  She  thought 


154  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  lowly  and  poor  were  better  off  to  be  left  ignorant; 
that  they  were  happier  not  to  know  of  the  things  beyond 
their  reach.  The  old  story  of  a  little  knowledge,  a  danger- 
ous thing,  brought  forward  in  order  to  excuse  the  better 
off  from  giving  a  helping  hand  to  the  poor  and  ignorant. 
She  talked  well,  supporting  her  argument  with  examples, 
and  was  well  satisfied  with  her  own  conclusions ! 

Saturday  —  January  22.  Louise  had  had  a  headache 
from  early  morning,  and  about  eight  o'clock  it  culmin- 
ated, and  with  sick  stomach  resisted  all  efforts.  It  re- 
minded one  of  her  worst  attacks  in  past  years.  Aside 
from  the  pain  and  sickness,  it  was  a  very  serious  mat- 
ter. A  special  audience  had  been  arranged  and  was  to 
be  given  by  the  Khediveh  mere  and  the  Khediveh  to 
Louise,  who  was  to  present  a  dozen  or  more  American 
ladies,  among  whom  were  Mrs.  Stevenson,  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton Fish,  Miss  Lewis,  Mrs.  Bend  and  two  daughters,  Mrs. 
Lorillard  Spencer,  a  Mrs.  Barton,  a  Mrs.  Butler,  Mrs. 
Charles  Dana  Gibson,  Mrs.  Hillhouse,  and  one  or  two 
others.  As  the  morning  advanced  and  Louise  got  no 
better,  my  anxiety  increased  and  it  became  a  serious 
question  what  to  do.  At  last  I  determined  to  send  my 
secretary  to  Mme.  Koyander  to  ask  her  advice,  as  she 
was  nearest  by,  and  to  learn  whether  or  not  she  could 
properly,  and  would,  go  to  the  Palace  and  present  the 
Americans.  My  secretary  could  not  find  Mme.  Koyan- 
der, although  he  followed  her  from  her  house  to  the  de 
Willebois's  and  elsewhere,  where  it  was  said  she  had  gone. 
At  last,  at  eleven  o'clock,  with  Louise  no  better,  I  sent 
him  to  Lady  Gromer.  She,  unfortunately,  had  an  en- 
gagement to  open  some  Charity  Exhibition,  and  said  that 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATION  SOCIETY    155 

it  would  be  informal  for  any  one  but  herself  or  Louise  to 
present. 

There  was  nothing  left  to  be  done.  Poor  Louise,  at 
1.30,  was  almost  lifted  out  of  bed,  and  with  eyes  blood- 
shot with  pain  and  head  hanging  down  in  very  agony, 
was  dressed  by  Irene,  her  Italian  maid,  and  at  2.20  started 
with  me  in  the  victoria,  for  Koobeh,  which  we  reached 
at  2.35,  finding  all  the  ladies  waiting,  except  Mrs.  Gibson 
and  Mrs.  Hillhouse,  who,  it  afterwards  turned  out,  had 
lost  their  way,  through  the  ignorance  and  stupidity  of 
their  coachman  from  Ghezireh  Palace.  I  think  the  air 
driving  out  helped  and  refreshed  Louise;  at  any  rate,  she 
made  the  presentations,  remained  in  the  Palace  about 
twenty  minutes,  and  was  home  at  the  Agency  by  four 
o'clock,  when  she  went  to  bed,  still  suffering  nausea  and 
headache.  I  dined  alone  and  retired  at  9.30. 

Sunday  —  January  23.  Having  an  engagement  with 
Mrs.  Stevenson  to  take  her  to  see  Sir  William  Garstin, 
who  named  an  hour  for  to-day,  I  reported  at  Shepheard's 
at  ten  o'clock,  and  after  waiting  a  few  minutes  we  started 
for  the  office  of  the  Public  Works  Ministry.  There  we 
found  Sir  William  awaiting  us  and  ready  to  hear  our  plea. 
An  interview  of  about  an  hour  followed,  during  which  we 
received  assurances  of  his  sympathy  and  support,  with 
advice  to  obtain  a  letter  from  the  French  Minister,  M. 
Cogordan,  to  M.  Loret,  the  Director-General  of  the  Ser- 
vice des  Antiquites,  now  at  Abydos,  to  which  point  Mrs. 
Stevenson  wished  to  go. 

The  American  Exploration  Society,  of  which  Mrs. 
Stevenson  is  secretary,  has  a  grant  to  excavate  at  Tanis, 
but  no  rights  to  take  away  any  monuments  already  exca- 


156  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

vated.  What  is  wanted  is  to  remove  some  of  them  and 
divide  what  is  removed  between  the  Ghizeh  Museum  and 
the  Society,  the  latter  agreeing  to  transport  those  in- 
tended for  the  Museum  to  Ghizeh.  Sir  William  enlarged 
upon  the  difficulty  of  transportation  and  the  great  ex- 
pense, and  advised,  before  the  Society  engaged  to  do  the 
work,  that  M.  Rosher,  the  engineer  representing  the  So- 
ciety, and  who  will  superintend  the  work,  should  go  to 
Tanis  and  remain  there  until  he  had  made  a  careful  es- 
timate of  all  the  work  and  cost,  and  said  that  this  work 
would  take  at  least  two  months.  He  added  that  neither 
he  nor  Loret  could  give  permission;  that  a  committee  of 
the  Council  must  sit  and  examine,  and  upon  its  report  the 
council  of  Ministers  would  decide.  But  first  Loret  should 
be  gained  and  the  letter  to  him  from  the  French  Minis- 
ter was  the  first  step. 

I  left  Mrs.  Stevenson  at  my  door,  and  my  victoria 
took  her  to  Shepheard's.  I  was  anxious  to  get  back  to  the 
house  for  the  reason  that  our  breakfast  to  Prince  Mehemet 
Ali  was  to  be  given  at  12.30,  and  with  our  comparatively 
inexperienced  servants,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  see 
about  the  wines  and  the  time  to  serve  them.  I  found  the 
table  beautifully  laid  for  ten.  They  were  to  be  the  Prince, 
Louise,  Mr.  Oothout,  Jr.,  Mr.  Gibson,  Cortlandt  and 
David  Bishop,  Sabit  Bey  (an  intimate  of  the  Prince  who 
married  a  Baltimore  Jewess),  and  one  of  the  Masters  of 
Ceremonies  at  the  Palace,  my  secretary,  and  myself.  All 
of  the  company  arrived  before  the  Prince,  who  was  about 
five  minutes  late. 

All  seemed  to  enjoy  the  meal.  The  Prince,  who  is  an 
unusually  handsome  and  affable  man,  and,  for  his  age, 
well  informed,  talked  generally,  but  mostly  across  the 


'  Prince  Mehemet  All 
Brother  of  Abbas  Hilmi,  the  Khedive 


PRINCE  MEHEMET  ALI  157 


Gibson  My  jx  Bishop  Master  of 

Secretary  Ceremonies 


The  Prince  Louise 


T5.H.  C  Bishop       Sabit  Bey         Oothout 


table  to  Louise,  or  to  Gibson,  who  sat  on  his  left,  or  to 
me,  on  his  right.  Everything  was  first  served  to  him;  but 
he  invariably  refused,  and  waited  for  Louise  first  to  be 
helped  and  then  he  assented.  He  drank  only  Johannis 
water,  but  he  ate  a  hearty  breakfast,  although  to-day 
is  the  first  day  of  the  great  Mohammedan  Fast,  the  Rama- 
dan. He  remained  until  2.30.  The  above  diagram  shows 
how  we  were  placed.  In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  took 
a  drive  as  far  as  the  Zoological  Gardens.  We  dined  alone 
with  my  secretary. 

Monday  —  January  24.  A  very  busy  day  with  visitors, 
among  whom  were  Mr.  Hamilton  Fish,  son  of  him  who 
was  Secretary  of  State  during  Grant's  Administration. 
Mr.  Fish  is  a  handsome  man  of  imposing  presence;  wore 
a  full  beard  and  mustache,  and  had,  of  course,  the  bearing 
and  manners  of  an  American  of  the  best  class.  He  had 
been  Speaker  of  the  Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

A  Mr.  Edward  E.  Ayre,  from  Chicago,  a  very  wealthy 
and  distinguished-in-art-and-letters  man,  who  is  now  for 
the  fourth  time  in  Egypt  buying  objects  for  the  Chicago 
Egyptian  collection  in  the  Field  Museum,  also  called. 
Mr.  Ayre  spoke  of  the  importance  of  the  collection  in 


158  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  great  museum  as  the  best  and  most  comprehensive 
in  the  United  States.  He  also  told  of  its  wealth  in  old 
Italian  and  Greek  bronzes  and  said,  to  study  them,  there 
were  but  two  museums  in  the  world  where  they  could  be 
seen  in  entirety,  namely,  at  Naples  and  at  Chicago.  I 
could  fill  the  balance  of  this  book  with  the  information 
that  he  was  pleased  and  free  to  communicate. 

There  were  also  a  number  of  ladies:  three  from  Phila- 
delphia, cousins  of  Lindley  Smith,  and  with  them  I  was 
kept  solidly  until  12.30.  In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I 
took  the  victoria  to  pay  dinner  calls.  I  afterwards  drove 
around  Ghezireh.  In  the  evening  went  to  the  opera  and 
heard  "Nanon,"  and  were  greatly  pleased.  Louise  in- 
vited Mrs.  Stevenson  and  Miss  Christine  Biddle  to  share 
our  box.  The  latter,  with  her  mother  and  cousin,  Miss 
Lydia  Baird,  go  up  the  Nile  to-morrow. 

Home  at  11.45.  Bought  the  £250  and  £60  silk  rugs. 
They  are  Persian  and  truly  museum  pieces.  I  saw  one 
at  the  bazaars  that  I  thought  no  better,  and  not  so  large, 
as  the  £250  one,  for  which  the  Jew  asked  £2500.  I  think 
that  I  have  a  bargain.  It  took  me  more  than  a  month 
to  complete  the  purchase. 

Louise's  portrait  came  to-day  and  was  unpacked.  A 
frame  has  to  be  made  for  it.  We  will  hang  it  in  the  ante- 
salon,  opposite  the  large  mirror  that  opens  on  the  court: 
not  a  very  good  light,  but  it  is  the  best  place  for  it. 

The  weather  to-day  and  yesterday  has  been  real  Cairo 
weather  —  a  little  chilly,  sixty  degrees  in  the  morning 
and  at  night,  but  delightfully  temperate  after  ten  o'clock 
until  five.  At  the  opera  the  house  was  still  cold,  and 
many  ladies  wore  high-neck  dresses,  but  I  look  forward 
now  to  an  end  of  the  unprecedented  cold  weather  and 


CALLERS  159 

for  a  continuous  enjoyment  of  May  days  this  and  next 
month.  We  sent  out  invitations  this  morning  for  a  din- 
ner on  Wednesday,  February  2,  to  meet  Mr.  Angell,  our 
Minister  at  Constantinople,  who  is  due  to  arrive  in  Cairo 
the  29th  of  this  month. 

Tuesday  —  January  25.  Judge  Tuck  came  in  early 
to-day  and  talked  over  his  report  to  the  Department, 
and  a  Mr.  Donahue  made  me  a  long  visit.  They,  with 
a  half-dozen  other  Americans,  took  up  all  my  time  until 
12.30,  when  I  went  in  to  a  good  luncheon.  In  the  after- 
noon I  wrote  dispatches  and  examined  some  accounts 
with  Watts  until  about  3.30,  when  I  went  to  my  room 
to  dress  for  Louise's  day  "at  home."  The  people  began 
to  come  about  4  P.M.,  and  kept  up  a  steady  stream  until 
6.30.  There  must  have  been  not  less  than  a  hundred  and 
fifty  callers.  At  times  all  the  rooms  downstairs,  especially 
the  dining-room,  where  tea,  chocolate,  wine,  cakes,  and 
bonbons  were  served,  were  quite  full.  Among  the  callers 
were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  Fish,  Mrs.  Lorillard  Spen- 
cer, Mrs.  Gary,  the  Oothouts,  Bishops,  Rogers  Pasha  and 
Mrs.  Rogers,  the  wife  of  Sabit  Bey,  son  of  Boutros  Pasha, 
and  so  on. 

Louise  and  I  dined  at  home  alone,  my  secretary  being 
invited  to  dinner  by  Mrs.  Fish.  Read  "Literary  Digest" 
until  10.30  and  then,  pretty  well  tired  out  and  hoarse, 
went  to  bed. 

Wednesday  —  January  26.  Received  word  this  morn- 
ing from  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  that  His  High- 
ness the  Khedive  would  receive  in  special  audience  Judge 
Tuck  and  Judge  Batcheller  at  3.15  to-morrow  afternoon. 


160  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

I  was  in  my  office  by  eight  o'clock  and  immediately 
wrote  letters  to  the  judges,  telling  them  to  be  at  the 
Agency  at  or  before  3  P.M.  I  told  Batcheller  that  I  would 
take  him  in  my  carriage.  I  then  had  breakfast,  and  at 
9.15  started  out  with  my  secretary  to  test  the  chef,  whose 
honesty  I  had  been  doubting.  And  it  was  well  we  did; 
it  was  none  too  soon  —  in  fact,  I  blame  myself  for  the 
loose  way  I  have  permitted  the  whole  matter  to  begin 
and  go  on  for  three  weeks.  My  secretary,  however,  said 
it  was  the  custom  in  Italy  to  allow  the  chef  a  certain 
amount  per  diem  for  keeping  the  table  —  the  check  on 
him  only  your  satisfaction  with  what  he  gave  you.  Well, 
it  was  the  custom,  but  a  bad  one  with  a  new  man  and 
without  any  supervision.  We  found  that,  although  he  had 
received  the  money  at  the  end  of  each  week,  he  had  paid 
no  one  and  that  he  was  holding,  and  claimed  it  to  be  due 
him  for  expenditures,  about  thirty-five  pounds! 

Of  course  the  inclination  was  first  to  see  that  he  paid 
all  back  debts,  and  after  he  had  done  that  to  discharge 
him;  but  then  came  the  other  side  —  what  could  I  do 
without  a  first-class  chef,  giving  breakfasts  and  dinners 
and  obliged  more  and  more  to  give  them?  So  we  con- 
cluded that  as  he  was  young,  had  been  well  frightened, 
and  had  tried  to  excuse  himself  by  saying  he  was  waiting 
until  the  end  of  the  month  to  pay  (and  there  might  have 
been  some  truth  in  this),  we  would  give  him  another 
chance.  Accordingly,  he  remains,  but  we  have  selected 
certain  tradespeople  with  whom  alone  he  must  deal  for 
meat,  vegetables,  groceries,  etc.,  and  they  are  to  send  in 
their  bills  weekly  to  my  secretary  and  he  will  pay  them 
with  check.  Of  course  the  chef  will  get  his  commission, 
but  to  that  I  do  not  object,  and  so  the  butcher  was  told. 


HAMILTON  FISH  161 

I  had  quite  a  number  of  visitors  during  the  day,  the 
most  notable  of  whom  was  Mr.  A.  Van  Bergen,  of  Paris 
(who  brought  a  letter  of  introduction  from  General  Por- 
ter), an  old  gentleman,  say  seventy-five,  who  had  lived 
in  Paris  since  1850,  and  from  the  way  he  talked  of  certain 
investments  in  America  (not  boastfully  in  any  sense),  I 
judge  that  he  is  a  very  wealthy  man.  He  had  lost  his  wife 
only  about  six  weeks  ago  and  was  with  his  daughter  trying 
to  cheer  her  by  a  sight  of  the  strange  scenes  of  the  East. 

Louise  and  I,  having  declined  Mrs.  Dennison's  dinner, 
enjoyed  a  home  meal  again  to-day.  In  the  evening  I 
made  out  a  long  list  of  names  of  men  who  desired  to  be 
presented  to  the  Khedive  and  gave  it  to  Watts,  with  in- 
structions to  write  the  formal  letter  to  the  Grand  Master 
of  Ceremonies.  Louise  gave  the  use  of  our  loge  at  the 
opera  for  to-morrow  night  to  Mrs.  Watts,  thereby  gaining 
another  restful  night  at  home. 

We  received  an  invitation  from  Neghi  Boutros  Ghali, 
son  of  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  to  go  on  his  steam 
yacht  with  a  party,  mostly  Americans,  to  Sakkara,  Fri- 
day next,  and  to  eat  an  Arab  breakfast  on  board.  I  will 
go,  but  Louise  is  afraid  of  the  fatigue  of  a  whole  day's 
excursion,  twelve  miles  of  which  will  be  on  donkey,  the 
day  before  her  breakfast  to  Mrs.  Stevenson. 

January  27  —  Thursday.  This  morning,  having  an 
engagement  with  Mr.  Hamilton  Fish  to  take  him  to  call 
upon  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Boutros  Pasha 
Ghali,  I  picked  him  up  at  Shepheard's  and  together  we 
went  to  the  Bureau.  The  Pasha  received  us  most  cor- 
dially—  offered  cigarettes  and  coffee,  according  to  the 
custom,  and  detained  us  nearly  a  half-hour.  After  our 


162  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

visit  to  him,  we  visited  Chereef  Pasha,  the  Under-Secre- 
tary,  and  had  a  very  pleasant  quarter  of  an  hour. 

At  three  o'clock,  with  Judge  Batcheller  beside  me  in 
the  victoria,  and  headed  by  the  two  sices,  Judge  Tuck 
following  in  another  carriage,  I  started  for  Abdin  Palace 
to  be  received  by  the  Khedive  and  to  present  to  him  the 
two  judges.  The  same  ceremonies  as  on  previous  occa- 
sions were  observed.  The  officials  and  chamberlains  in 
the  hall  below;  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  meeting 
us  as  we  reached  the  first  floor,  with  his  aides,  and  con- 
ducting us  first  to  the  reception-room  on  the  left,  and 
then,  when  His  Highness  gave  the  signal,  taking  us  to 
his  presence. 

His  Highness  met  us  near  the  entrance;  shook  hands, 
and  then  waited  for  me  to  introduce  the  gentlemen. 
That  over,  he  turned  and  led  the  way  to  the  other  end 
of  the  room,  where  he  sat  and  motioned  each  of  us  to 
chairs,  placing  me  on  his  right.  He  asked  a  number  of 
questions  of  both  Tuck  and  Batcheller  and  talked  gen- 
erally of  Egypt  and  America,  their  crops,  what  each  coun- 
try bought  of  the  other  and  of  the  people  of  both  lands. 
Altogether  the  audience  lasted  over  fifteen  minutes,  when 
His  Highness  rose  and  that  was  the  signal  to  depart. 

After  the  audience  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  French 
Legation  to  attend  a  fair,  where  I  got  rid  of  about  ten 
pounds,  and  brought  away,  as  is  usual  at  fairs,  nothing; 
but  had  a  good  deal  of  amusement  at  the  successful  at- 
tempts at  robbing  for  a  charitable  object.  We  refused 
the  ball  at  Ghezireh  Palace  for  to-night  and  had  the 
satisfaction  again  of  a  quiet  evening  at  home.  During 
the  day  I  had  the  flag  flying  and  left  all  cards  at  the 
German  Legation. 


EXCURSION  TO  SAKKARA  163 

Friday  —  January  28.  All  day  to-day  has  been  given 
to  an  excursion  to  Sakkara,  on  invitation  of  Neghi  Ghali 
Bey,  son  of  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  a  pleasant 
and  cultivated  young  fellow  of  about  twenty-six.  We 
had  a  steam  dahabeah,  and  went  on  board  at  the  landing- 
stage  below  the  bridge  at  9.30  A.M.  The  party  consisted 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  Fish;  Miss  McLean;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dana  Gibson;  Mrs.  Mason  Bey;  Miss  Lewis;  Miss 
Cliff-Smith;  Neghi,  and  myself.  The  day  was  cold  and 
windy  and  I  was  very  uncomfortable  on  my  way  down  the 
first  hour;  after  the  sun  had  climbed  sufficiently  high  to 
shed  some  of  his  direct  rays  upon  us,  it  became  more  com- 
fortable. At  half-past  twelve  our  host  gave  us  what  he 
had  called,  in  his  invitation,  "un  dejeuner  arab"  which 
turned  out  to  be  an  excellent  repast.  He  had  brought 
with  him  his  father's  chef,  and  as  there  were  first-class 
cooking  appliances  on  board,  no  difficulty  was  found  in 
providing  the  meal. 

On  reaching  the  landing,  we  took  donkeys  and  rode  the 
six  miles,  going  only  down  to  the  Tombs  of  the  Sacred 
Bulls,  or  Serapeum.  The  tomb  of  Ti  and  another  should 
have  had  our  attention,  but  we  had  no  time  for  them, 
getting  back,  as  it  was,  to  Cairo  only  by  7.30  P.M.  I 
reached  the  Agency  about  ten  minutes  before  eight,  about 
as  tired  out  as  one  could  be.  Sat  down  to  dinner  at  once 
without  change  of  clothes,  and  Louise,  not  caring  to  go 
to  Baron  Meyer  "Something's"  ball,  we  both  went  early 
to  bed,  leaving  my  secretary  to  make  our  excuses. 

Saturday  —  January  29.  Down  at  the  office  at  7.50, 
and,  with  the  interval  of  my  "little  breakfast,"  was  busy 
until  noon  with  one  thing  or  another  —  visitors,  talk 


164  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

with  Watts,  with  dragomans  who  were  there  about  taking 
parties  up  the  Nile,  and  doing  a  variety  of  things  towards 
the  preparations  for  the  breakfast  to  Mrs.  Stevenson, 
which  we  had  at  12.30,  or  at  least  called  for  that  hour. 
Colonel  Gordon  was  about  a  half-hour  late,  and  unavoid- 
ably so,  his  wife,  anticipating  it,  so  said,  and  begged  us  to 
go  to,  the  table.  At  the  breakfast  were  Mrs.  Stevenson; 
Count  and  Countess  della  Sala;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton 
Fish;  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Gordon;  Louise,  my  secretary,  and 
myself. 

I  sat  at  one  end  of  the  table  and  Louise  at  the  other. 
On  her  right  she  had  Mr.  Fish,  and  on  her  left,  Colonel 
Gordon.  On  my  right  was  Mrs.  Stevenson,  and  Countess 
della  Sala  on  my  left.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  anima- 
tion, especially  at  my  end,  the  two  women,  Mrs.  Steven- 
son and.  Countess  della  Sala,  being  great  conversational- 
ists. The  breakfast  was  good,  especially  the  consomme, 
medaillons  d'agneau,  the  aspic,  and  the  ice  cream,  with 
the  chocolate  sauce.  A  salade  russe  was  a  work  of  art ! ! 
The  guests  left  at  2.30.  Afterwards  Louise  took  a  drive; 
went  to  a  concert  at  Lady  Cromer's,  and  took  tea  there, 
introducing  Mrs.  Fish.  Mrs.  Stevenson  did  not  care  to 
go,  Lady  Cromer  not  yet  having  returned  her  call  made 
only  the  day  before.  She  took  a  drive  with  Bert  Watts 
instead  and  I  remained  indoors,  writing  letters  and  read- 
ing up  the  "Philadelphia  Ledger."  Louise  and  I  had  the 
pleasure  again  of  dining  at  home. 

Sunday  —  January  30.  I  received  word  early  this 
morning  that  His  Highness  would  receive  me  on  Friday 
next  at  3.30  P.M.,  to  present  about  fifteen  Americans.  I 
did  not  go  to  church,  but  wrote  letters  and  pottered 


AT  ZEITOUN  165 

about  my  office  until  it  was  time  to  go  to  the  train,  Louise 
and  I  having  been  invited  to  lunch  at  the  Tucks',  at 
Zeitoun.  Minister  Angell  and  Mrs.  Angell  were  expected 
at  12.30  from  Constantinople,  via  Alexandria.  I,  of  course, 
wished  to  meet  them  at  the  station,  but,  unfortunately, 
our  station  was  some  little  distance  and  our  train  left 
at  12.45.  As  it  was,  I  sent  Watts  with  my  victoria  and 
Andrass  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  party  pass 
by  on  its  way  to  Shepheard's  while  I  stood  on  the  plat- 
form, which  commanded  a  view  of  the  open  place  across 
which  the  road  led  to  their  hotel. 

We  had  a  ride  of  about  a  half-hour  to  Zeitoun,  where 
Judge  Tuck  met  us  and  walked  with  us  about  what 
would  be  four  squares  in  Philadelphia,  to  his  house.  The 
path  was  across  what  had  been  the  desert,  and  it  was 
as  soft  as  our  Jersey  sands.  There  were  quite  a  number 
of  houses  —  villas  —  about,  and  these  were  mostly  white, 
as  if  lime-washed,  surrounded  by  stone  walls  which  en- 
closed the  houses  within  gardens.  But  mostly  the  gar- 
dens were  still  heaps  of  sand,  without  any  signs  of  vege- 
tation. Tuck's  was  an  exception,  though  it  showed  only 
a  little  border  of  grass  about  the  beds  and  walks  and  a 
few  stunted  and  sickly  looking  plants  struggling  for  life. 
In  time,  however,  this  suburb  will  be  very  attractive. 
The  villas  are  all  good-looking,  and  the  location,  on  an 
elevation  gradual  from  Cairo,  insures  pure  air  and  free- 
dom from  the  objections  of  the  crowded  city. 

The  luncheon  I  found  excellent.  We  began  with  a 
broiled  fish,  bar,  I  think;  then  a  compote  of  pigeon;  then 
roast  turkey  and  genuine  cranberry  sauce;  salad,  cheese, 
and  ice  cream,  all  generally  good.  The  sweet  welcome 
and  cordial  greetings  —  the  hospitable  intent  —  would 


166  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

have  made  up  for  any  shortcomings,  had  there  been  any. 
I  sat  next  to  Mrs.  Tuck.  There  were,  besides  ourselves, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell,  charming  people.  The  interior 
of  the  house  was  quite  comfortable,  commodious,  and 
well  furnished,  Tuck  and  his  wife  (who  was  Emily  Mar- 
shall, of  Baltimore)  having  brought  their  furniture  from 
the  States. 

We  took  train  for  Cairo  at  3.45  and  called  on  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Angell  as  we  were  about  to  pass  Shepheard's.  They 
were  at  home,  so  we  waited  and  saw  them.  Mr.  Angell 
is  a  man  close  upon  seventy,  with  a  smooth,  round  face, 
very  like  that  of  Horace  Greeley,  benevolence  being  the 
marked  expression.  We  were  charmed  with  them  both. 
Mrs.  Angell  had  been  to  Pomfret  and  is  a  friend  of  Eleanor 
Vinton.  She  had  taken  a  dinner  there  at  the  Cooking 
Club,  and  remembered  Marion,  but  had  not  met  Louise, 
although  she  had  seen  her  and  recollected  her  perfectly. 

Monday  —  January  31.  In  my  office  at  7.50  A.M.,  and 
I  went  to  work  at  once  on  my  correspondence,  with  the 
intent  to  reduce  the  number  of  unanswered  letters.  At 
nine  o'clock  my  secretary  started  out  to  select  a  fruitier 
and  vegetable  man  from  whom  our  chef  must  buy.  I 
afterwards  called  upon  Mrs.  Stevenson  at  Shepheard's. 
She  was  out.  Then  with  Louise  I  took  the  carriage  and 
did  some  shopping.  Fero  dropped  us  at  "Maison  fran- 
gaise";  near-by  we  met  Miss  Cliff-Smith,  and  with  her 
hurried  to  Shepheard's  to  escape  a  shower  that  had  al- 
ready commenced  —  the  seventh  rain  since  December 
1st! 

At  the  hotel  I  found  Mrs.  Stevenson,  who  had  returned, 
and  engaged  to  drive  her  to  the  boat  that  she  will  take 


MINISTER  ANGELL  CALLS  167 

to  go  up  the  Nile  on  Wednesday  (day  after  to-morrow) 
at  9  A.M.  She  was  hard  at  work  with  Kosher,  in  one  of 
Shepheard's  reserved  rooms,  examining  "scarabs"  and 
other  ancient  objects. 

Busy  all  the  afternoon;  among  the  visitors  were  Minis- 
ter Angell  from  Constantinople,  Hamilton  Fish,  Mr.  New- 
ell, a  Mr.  Case  and  wife  from  Iowa,  and  a  Mr.  Donahue. 
Just  as  Mr.  Angell  entered  the  door  (he  was  allowed  to 
enter  unannounced),  I  was  about  to  give  Newell  a  taste 
of  that  "old  rye"  that  John  had  sent  me  —  the  first  time 
the  bottle  had  been  shown  in  the  private  office.  All  the 
"implements  of  war"  were  present  —  ice,  water,  glasses, 
and  whiskey  —  so  there  was  no  denying  the  matter  even 
if  it  had  been  worth  while.  Mr.  Angell  was  jokingly  in- 
vited to  say  "How,"  but  smilingly  declined,  thoroughly 
appreciating  the  situation. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  opera  house,  where 
we  saw  "Madame  Sans-Gene"  played  by  an  excellent 
troupe.  The  opera  is  now  over  and  only  plays  will,  for 
the  balance  of  the  season,  be  given.  Mr.  Wendell,  of 
Boston,  came  into  our  loge  and  afterwards  brought  in  a 
Mr.  Bird,  and  when  he  came  I  afterwards  went  over  to 
his  loge  and  was  presented  by  Mr.  Wendell,  who  accom- 
panied me,  to  Mrs.  Bird  and  three  ladies.  Home  by  11.30. 

Tuesday  —  February  L  Up  early  and  at  my  desk  at 
7.45.  Learning  of  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Hay,  United  States 
Ambassador  to  London,  I  called  upon  him  and  Mrs.  Hay 
at  Shepheard's.  They  were  out,  so  I  left  an  invitation 
to  dine  with  us  to-morrow  night.  Wrote  a  number  of 
letters  home.  To-day  being  Louise's  for  her  afternoon 
"at  home,"  we  were  again  favored  (?)  with  a  crowd  of 


168  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

visitors,  though  not  in  such  great  number  as  on  the  two 
preceding  days.  The  last  to  come  was  the  sister  of  the 
Danish  Minister,  and  she  remained  until  quite  seven 
o'clock.  Louise  and  I  dined  alone,  my  secretary  having 
been  invited  to  Lady  Grenfell's  to  a  dance  in  the  evening. 
Louise's  large  portrait  was  hung  in  the  ante-salon.  While 
not  a  perfect,  it  is  now  a  good,  likeness,  and,  taking  it  all 
in  all,  I  am  quite  pleased  and  satisfied  with  it. 

Wednesday — February  2.  In  the  office  before  eight 
o'clock,  and  at  8.40  quitted  it  for  Shepheard's  to  pick  up 
Mrs.  Stevenson  and  drive  her  to  the  steamer  that  she  was 
to  take  for  her  Nile  trip.  Left  her  at  9.30,  and  then,  with 
my  secretary,  went  shopping  for  a  number  of  needed 
articles,  which  took  my  time  until  11.30.  Received  two 
or  three  visitors,  but  missed,  while  out,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
John  Hay.  They  started  on  their  Nile  trip  at  4  P.M.  to- 
day. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  went  to  an  afternoon  concert 
tea  at  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Treffry's,  while  I  started  out  to 
search  the  town  for  a  lamp  to  reflect  the  light  on  Louise's 
full-length  portrait  in  the  ante-salon.  I  was  quite  un- 
successful. 

About  seven  o'clock  Baron  Egeregg,  the  Austrian 
Minister,  called.  I  was  obliged  to  excuse  myself  to  him 
and  give  him  conge,  having  but  little  time  to  dress  for  a 
dinner  that  we  were  about  to  give  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  An- 
gell.  He  only  left  me  about  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  it  was 
as  much  as  I  could  do  to  be  down  in  time.  At  7.15  a  note 
came  from  Lady  Cromer  stating  that  she  had  been  abed 
and  sick  all  day,  had  had  a  chill,  and  that  she  was  for- 
bidden to  rise,  expressing  regret.  The  Angells'  coachman 


PHOTOGRAPH  OF  THE  KHEDIVE        169 

lost  his  way  and  drove  them  all  over  town,  finally  put- 
ting them  down  at  8.15. 

Our  guests  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Angell;  Lord  Cromer; 
Sir  Elwin  and  Lady  Palmer;  Sir  William  and  Lady  Gar- 
stin;  Count  Zogheb  (Danish  Minister)  and  sister.  Mr. 
Watts  and  Louise  and  I  making  up  the  twelve. 

Thursday  —  February  3.  Had  a  wretched  night,  al- 
though tired  when  I  went  to  bed.  In  the  office  at  7.25, 
and  official  matters  took  up  my  time,  with  some  few  visi- 
tors, among  whom  was  Hon.  S.  S.  Farwell,  of  Ohio;  Col- 
onel Benzoni;  Countess  Schlutterbach,  and  Mr.  Bradlee. 
I  managed  to  get  out  of  my  office  at  5.30  and  had  a 
walk  as  far  as  Shepheard's  or  just  beyond.  Dined  again 
alone  with  Louise.  The  steam  had  been  allowed  to  go 
down,  and  the  house  becoming  chilly,  and  besides  being 
tired  from  not  having  slept  over  two  hours  the  night  be- 
fore, I  went  to  bed  about  9.30. 

Friday — February  4.  This  has  been  a  field  day.  In  my 
office  at  about  eight  o'clock,  and  after  my  "little  break- 
fast" I  wrote  about  an  hour  in  this  journal;  that  finished, 
I  prepared  a  dispatch  for  Watts  to  copy,  concerning  Tou- 
hey  and  the  need  for  a  consular  clerk  at  this  office. 

I  received  a  photograph  of  His  Highness  and  the  fol- 
lowing note  from  Brewster  Bey,  his  private  secretary: 

Dear  Colonel  Harrison: 

His  Highness  sends  you  herewith  a  photograph  of  himself,  with 
autograph,  as  a  mark  of  his  personal  esteem. 

The  photograph  is  a  bust,  and  about  one  quarter  life- 
size. 

At  2.30  P.M.,  upon  an  invitation  of  the  German  Minis- 
ter, I  attended  a  reception  at  the  German  Legation,  to 


170  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

meet,  as  the  invitation  said:  "Son  altesse  royale,  le  due 
regnant  de  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  et  son  fils,  altesse  royale, 
le  Prince  heritier."  Only  the  Diplomatic  Agents,  with 
their  secretaries,  were  invited. 

The  Duke  is  a  jolly-looking  man  of  about  fifty  to  fifty- 
five,  with  the  appearance  of  having  enjoyed  the  good 
things  of  the  table.  I  should  say  he  was  about  five  feet 
nine  inches,  and  looked  to  weigh  close  to  two  hundred 
pounds.  The  son,  a  youngster  of  about  twenty-five,  re- 
sembles the  daughters  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  very  much. 
I  met  the  Duke  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  in  1860,  when  he  was 
midshipman  on  one  of  the  British  ships.  He  made  a  visit, 
with  a  number  of  his  companions,  to  Tejuca,  where  I 
was  stopping  at  Bennett's,  and  when  I  recalled  the  mat- 
ter to  his  attention,  he  remembered  the  day  perfectly. 
He  took  me  over  to  his  son,  and  we  all  had  a  good  laugh 
over  the  pranks  which  he  and  the  others  had  played, 
which  we  both  recollected  and  spoke  about.  Having  met 
him,  it  made  me,  as  it  were,  an  old  acquaintance.  The 
Duke  kept  me  by  his  side  and  talked,  much  to  the  sur- 
prise, perhaps,  of  the  other  Ministers,  who  only  had  a 
formal  handshake  and  a  word  of  two. 

After  the  reception  I  returned  to  the  Agency,  where 
the  following  gentlemen  were  assembled,  preparatory  to 
being  presented  to  the  Khedive  at  3.30:  Messrs.  David 
W.  Bishop,  and  two  sons;  George  Bend;  George  Newell; 
William  Ocfthout,  father  and  son;  Dana  Gibson;  Hillhouse; 
Bacon;  Hamilton  Fish;  and  perhaps  two  or  three  more,  as 
there  were  fifteen  to  be  presented.  We  drove,  one  carriage 
after  the  other,  seven  in  all,  to  the  Palace,  like  a  funeral 
procession  returning  from  the  cemetery — at  a  trot! 
.  The  usual  forms  were  observed.  The  Grand  Master  of 


Abbas  Hilmi 
Khedive  of  Egypt  until  1914 


AT  THE  COUNT  BELLA  SALA'S          171 

Ceremonies  met  us  in  the  grand  hall,  conducted  us  to 
the  room  above,  on  the  left,  and  when  His  Highness  was 
ready  to  receive  us,  led  us  across  into  the  audience  cham- 
ber, where  the  Khedive  met  us  near  the  door.  There  I 
presented  my  little  "army,"  and  afterwards,  following 
His  Highness  across  the  room,  we  were  all  motioned  to 
seats.  We  sat  about  ten  minutes,  the  conversation  being 
almost  entirely  between  the  Khedive  and  myself,  with  an 
occasional  word  put  in  by  Mr.  Bishop,  Sr.  On  going  out, 
the  Khedive  stopped  me  and  warmly  thanked  me  for 
some  information  I  had  been  able  to  impart  respecting 
the  cultivation  of  a  number  of  garden  vegetables. 

Immediately  afterwards  I  drove  to  the  Khedivial 
Sporting  Club  grounds  to  attend  the  Horse  Show  and 
remained  there  about  an  hour  and  a  half.  I  met  Mr.  Cor- 
nelius Vanderbilt  and  family,  Mrs.  John  Drexel  and  many 
others.  In  the  evening,  Louise,  my  secretary,  and  I  dined 
at  the  Count  della  Sala's  and  ate  one  of  the  best  dinners 
we  have  had  offered  to  us  since  our  arrival  in  Egypt.  The 
following  people  were  there:  Count  and  Countess  della 
Sala;  Louise;  the  Swedish  Minister;  Mrs.  Dennison;  Miss 
Lewis;  Thurneyssen  Bey;  son  of  Fakrhi  Pasha;  my  sec- 
retary; myself;  and  another  whose  name  I  don't  recall  — 
eleven  in  all.  The  table'was  almost  round  and  beautifully 
decorated  with  purple  flowers,  Bougainvillea  —  which 
grows  so  luxuriantly  on  the  vine  on  the  Count's  palace 
front;  these,  interspersed  with  white  japonicas,  with  the 
green  leaves,  wound  wreath-like  about  the  table.  In  addi- 
tion there  were  three  low  vases  on  stands,  which  were 
filled  with  the  same  purple  flowers  with  their  leaves. 
The  glass  and  china  were  exquisite  —  the  glass  fluted 
and  melon-shaped,  the  china  white  and  gold.  All  of  the 


172  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

food  was  delicious,  as  well  as  the  wines,  which  were  sherry, 
sauterne  (rather  sweet),  bordeaux  (extra  good),  cham- 
pagne (medium  dry),  a  liqueur,  called  a  Spanish  wine, 
which  tasted  like  cherry  bounce  and  which  was  served 
in  small  Dutch  liqueur  glasses. 

After  the  dinner  we  went  to  the  Grand  Opera  House 
to  attend  the  masked  and  fancy  ball  given  by  the  French 
Charitable  Society.  We  had  secured  a  loge,  Baignoire 
No.  3,  and  quite  close  to  what  had  been  the  stage.  All  of 
the  parquet  had  been  covered  over  so  that  the  stage  and 
floor  of  the  parquet  were  now  quite  level.  The  house 
was  beautifully  decorated  with  flags  and  banners,  the 
tricolor,  of  course,  predominating.  On  the  front  of  each 
box  were  two  beautiful  bouquets.  We  had  with  us  Miss 
Lewis,  Miss  Bronson,  Mr.  George  Bend  and  his  two 
daughters,  Count  Oppenheim,  Mr.  Turnure,  and  my 
secretary.  A  supper  had  been  carried  from  the  Agency, 
but  we  all  had  eaten  so  generously  of  dinner  that  it 
was  returned  untouched.  Louise  and  I  left  the  house 
at  12.10  with  Miss  Lewis  and  Mr.  Turnure.  The  others 
remained,  I  do  not  know  how  long.  Altogether  the  4th 
of  February  was  "a"  day! 

February  5  —  Saturday.  At  my  desk  before  eight 
o'clock.  The  day  breaks  much  warmer,  and  from  the 
temperature  of  the  past  two  days  I  am  hopeful  that  the 
abnormal  cold  has  gone  to  stay.  Visitors  began  early 
to-day,  among  them  a  Senor  Alvarez  "don  Quixote"  (or 
something  Spanish),  who  was  from  Mexico.  He  brought 
a  letter  of  introduction  from  General  Draper  and  his 
son.  Although  for  all  the  world  resembling  Cervantes's 
hero,  he  was  a  most  courteous  gentleman. 


A  SUGGESTED  INVESTMENT  173 

Cornelius  Vanderbilt  called,  and  Mr.  Fearing.  Judge 
Tuck  took  luncheon  with  us  and  remained  until  after  two 
o'clock.  In  the  afternoon  I  started  out  with  Louise,  and 
with  her  visited  the  American  Mission  hi  the  interest  of 
Mrs.  Galloway,  the  poor  widow  who  wishes  to  return  to 
America.  After  that  I  took  tea  with  Mrs.  Mason  Bey 
and  there  met  Mrs.  Vanderbilt,  Miss  Townsend,  Miss 
Lewis,  Mrs.  Fish,  and  a  dozen  or  more  ladies  and  men. 

Sunday  —  February  6.  Count  della  Sala  came  in  about 
nine  o'clock  to  talk  over  the  acquisition  of  the  Prince 
Ismail  property  on  the  Nile,  just  beyond  Kasr-el-Barr, 
that  he  thinks  can  be  bought  for  about  £50,000,  although 
it  is  worth  at  least  £100,000.  He  wants  me  to  join  a 
"group"  with  him,  Suarez,  and  de  la  Mar,  a  rich  Ameri- 
can, whom  we  are  to  see  to-morrow,  and  take  a  hand, 
if  I  am  able.  The  neighborhood  is  of  the  best  in  Cairo 
and  is  sure  to  be,  in  time,  and  not  far  off,  the  best  part 
of  the  town. 

After  della  Sala  had  gone  I  started  for  Shepheard's 
to  see  Mr.  Hilliard,  the  artist,  and  to  view  his  work.  I 
bought  a  landscape,  an  exquisite  thing,  very  much  in 
the  style  of  Corot,  whose  intimate  friend  Hilliard  is,  or 
was.  He  then  came  with  me  to  the  Agency  to  see  Sani's 
full-length  portrait  of  Louise  and  admired  it  extremely, 
as  it  now  deserves. 

Louise  and  I  called  on  Judge  Batcheller  and  family, 
who  receive  on  Sunday  afternoons,  and  afterwards  drove. 
Spent  the  evening  at  home. 

Monday  —  February  7.  At  my  desk  before  eight;  and 
before  ten  I  had  caught  up  with  the  accumulated  letters. 


174  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Prince  Mehemet  Ali  dropped  in  and  brought  with  him 
a  Mr.  Sharp,  or  Smart,  who  is  quite  an  intimate  of  the 
Khedive  —  if  any  one  can  be  intimate  with  him  —  and 
the  Prince.  He  buys  horses  for  him,  and  used  to  do  the 
same  for  the  father  —  a  very  distinguished-looking  and 
handsome  man,  and  the  best  dressed  that  I  have  seen 
since  leaving  America.  They  made  me  a  long  visit.  I 
think  the  Prince  likes  to  come.  He  is  very  sociably  in- 
clined towards  those  he  knows  well.  We  had  quite  a  num- 
ber of  visitors  and  applications  for  passports  and  tes- 
karas  (the  vise  of  the  Turkish  official  in  Cairo  permitting 
travel  in  Turkey  and  dependencies). 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  made  visits  and  got  in 
at  Countess  Landberg's  and  at  de  Willebois's. 

In  the  evening,  after  our  dinner  of  eight  covers,  we 
went  to  see  "Denise."  Mr.  Newell  and  a  Frenchman, 
some  secretary,  came  into  our  box  and  I  paid  a  visit  to 
Mrs.  Mason  Bey  and  Miss  Lewis  in  their  loge,  which 
had  been  loaned  to  them  by  Countess  della  Sala.  Sent 
out  invitations  to  a  dinner  on  Monday,  February  14th. 
Home  and  in  bed  by  twelve  o'clock. 

Tuesday  —  February  8.  To-day  was  a  most  disagreeable 
and  unusual  one  for  this  time  of  the  year.  A  March  day 
with  khamseen  wind,  a  yellow  dust  that  found  its  way 
everywhere.  I  did  not  leave  the  house  all  day,  but  Louise 
went  out,  did  a  few  errands,  and  soon  returned.  In  the 
morning  I  had  a  very  interesting  interview  with  a  Mr. 
Van  Milligan.  The  afternoon  was  Louise's  reception, 
and  although  there  were  a  great  many  —  that  is,  forty 
or  fifty  people  —  to  call,  the  day  was  too  unpleasant  for 
a  rush  and  crush  such  as  has  prevailed  on  former  Tues- 


AN  UNINTERESTING  CONCERT          175 

days.  We  gave  the  visitors  chocolate,  tea,  and  cham- 
pagne cup,  with  small  patisseries,  cakes  and  straws,  bon- 
bons, etc.  The  champagne  cup  went  begging.  The  last 
visitors,  Baron  Oppenheim,  Count  Zogheb,  and  his  sis- 
ter, only  left  the  house  at  seven  o'clock.  Louise's  portrait 
was  much  admired.  We  dined  at  home,  six  covers. 

Wednesday  —  February  9.  One  of  the  most  quiet  morn- 
ings since  taking  charge  of  the  office;  with  the  exception 
of  Mr.  Large,  from  Mauch  Chunk;  the  poor  widow, 
Mrs.  Galloway,  who  came  in  response  to  Louise's  letter 
to  get  the  money  we  had  raised  for  her,  and  to  tell  me 
she  had  secured  a  position  as  nurse  and  would  start  to- 
morrow from  Alexandria  for  New  York  with  her  patient; 
and  a  half-dozen  or  more  Americans  to  have  their  pass- 
ports vised  and  teskaras  got  from  the  Turkish  official, 
in  order  that  they  may  travel  in  the  dependencies  of  the 
Sublime  Porte,  no  one  came.  In  the  afternoon  I  visited 
the  shop  of  Van  Milligan,  who  sells  only  goods  of  Ameri- 
can make,  and  was  greatly  interested  in  the  good  work 
which  he  is  doing.  He  handles  bicycles,  American  tools, 
stoves,  ink  and  pastes,  furniture  (of  the  poorest  kind), 
dishes,  lanterns,  notions  of  many  sorts,  printing-presses, 
electrical  supplies  in  small  quantity,  and  a  lot  of  other 
things. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  concert  given 
by  Mme.  Koyander,  wife  of  the  Russian  Minister.  It 
was  a  very  select  affair  —  by  invitation  (for  which  you 
indirectly  paid  more  than  if  by  regular  ticket),  and  the 
audience  was  composed  of  the  usual  decolletees  women 
and  bespangled  men,  who  talked  rather  than  listened. 
In  this  case  they  showed  their  good  taste,  for  the  singing 


176  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

of  Mme.  Marcelle  —  in  whose  interest  the  concert  was 
given  —  was  the  worst  I  have  had  inflicted  upon  my  ears 
for  a  long  while.  The  piano  and  violoncello  numbers 
were  fairly  good;  but  the  selection  of  the  music  was  not 
one  to  which  I  was  accustomed.  Naturally,  therefore, 
the  music  being  unfamiliar,  it  was  the  less  enjoyed. 

Thursday  —  February  10.  This  has  been  a  most  in- 
teresting day,  though  I  do  not  expect  to  do  more  than 
jot  down  sufficient  to  remind  me  of  what  passed.  Quite 
early  I  was  visited  by  a  Mr.  A.  M.  Kemeid,  formerly  of 
Beirut,  but  now  in  business  in  Cairo,  and  he  brought 
three  Moors,  all  of  whom  now  live  in  this  city,  though 
they  were  formerly  from  Fez.  The  father  of  one  and 
brother  of  another,  E.  Haji  Abdelwahed-el-Tazzi,  had 
died  in  Fez,  and  by  will  had  left  his  heirs,  among  other 
monies,  about  $12,000  ($12,034.93),  the  result  of  a  claim 
on  a  firm  in  New  York,  acknowledgedly  collected  by 
Fettretch,  Silkman  and  Seybel,  lawyers,  Times  Building, 
New  York.  These  lawyers  had  refused  to  pay  over  the 
money  for  certain  valid  reasons,  and  the  Moors  had  ob- 
tained evidence  as  to  their  rights  and  were  brought  to  me 
to  aid  them  to  obtain  their  due.  It  was  finally  arranged 
that  the  claim  be  put  in  my  hands  for  collection. 

The  interview,  in  which  all  the  circumstances  of  how 
the  claim  arose,  etc.,  were  detailed,  the  appearance  of 
the  men,  and  their  dramatic  way  of  speaking,  with  its 
Oriental  profusion  of  gesture  and  word,  were  very  enter- 
taining. 

In  the  afternoon,  by  appointment,  I  was  waited  upon 
by  the  Countess  Marinka  de  Moro  Potter,  from  Ram- 
leh,  near  Alexandria.  I  was  much  surprised  to  recog- 


THE  MIXED  COURTS  177 

nize  one  of  Moro  Phillips's  daughters,  who  had  married 
a  Dr.  Potter,  of  Germantown.  She  assumes  her  name 
and  title  from  the  fact  that  old  Moro  Phillips,  the  Polish 
potter,  and  afterwards  sulphuric-acid-maker,  was  a  Pol- 
ish prince  and  a  refugee,  Prince  and  Duke  de  Moro.  She 
says  one  of  her  brothers,  in  Europe,  has  assumed  the 
title. 

Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Khedivial  Sporting  Club  to 
witness  the  military  games  and  were  much  amused.  All 
the  world  was  there  and  made  the  scene  very  attractive. 
The  women  had  a  field  day  for  their  spring  frocks  and 
bonnets.  We  dined  at  home,  with  my  secretary  and  three 
others  invited  by  us. 

Friday  —  February  11.  I  received  an  important  paper 
from  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  on  the  changes  pro- 
posed by  the  Egyptian  Government  in  the  powers  of 
the  Mixed  Courts,  and  appointing  me  one  of  a  Commis- 
sion adjoint,  if  approved  of  at  Washington. 

I  wrote  my  dispatch  to  the  Secretary  of  State  send- 
ing copy  and  translation  of  the  letter.  Telegraphed  for 
Judge  Tuck  to  come  to  the  Agency,  and  on  seeing  him, 
reported  the  matter  and  told  him  I  proposed  his  name  to 
Mr.  Day  as  my  alternate.  He  was  much  gratified  and 
grateful  —  saying  that  it  would  give  him  eclat  that  would 
greatly  serve  to  advance  him  should  there  be  a  vacancy 
in  the  Court  of  Appeals,  to  which  he  aspires. 

After  he  had  gone,  Mr.  Grubb,  of  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware, brought  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  Ship- 
pen.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Delaware 
and  I  found  him  a  charming  man.  He  remained  over 
an  hour.  I  presented  him  to  Louise.  After  luncheon  Mr. 


178  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

John  W.  Harper  brought  a  letter  of  introduction  from 
Penfield.  He  had  crossed  over  with  Betty  and  Becky. 

He  made  quite  a  visit  and  would  have  remained  longer 
but  I  was  obliged  to  excuse  myself  to  go  to  the  funeral 
of  Prince  Osman,  uncle  of  the  Khedive,  who  had  died 
at  ten  o'clock,  and  who  was,  according  to  custom  here, 
to  be  buried  at  four.  I  had  been  notified  by  one  of  the 
palace  chamberlains,  which  I  thought  equivalent  to  an 
expectation  that  the  United  States  should  be  repre- 
sented at  the  funeral.  I  went  with  my  secretary. 

The  palace  where  he  had  lived  was  down  near  the 
Helouan  Station  and  was  a  shabby  affair  without  and 
within.  We  passed  through  a  front  garden  and  up  a  wide 
and  high  perron  and  through  a  reception-hall  and  room, 
turning  to  the  left  into  what  had  evidently  been  his  liv- 
ing-room where  he  had  received  his  male  friends.  The 
walls  were  hung  with  guns  and  tackle,  trophies  of  the 
chase,  etc.,  but  the  room  was  very  ugly  in  its  hangings 
and  furniture.  I  found  myself  seated  next  to  a  Prince, 
his  brother,  and  in  the  room  were  all  the  notables,  in- 
cluding Mehemet  Ali,  Mukhtar  Pasha  (the  Sultan's  Com- 
missioner), three  or  four  high  priests  of  the  Mussulman 
sect,  Maskins,  de  Willebois,  Tugini,  de  Rojas,  and  von 
M  tiller.  I  reached  the  house  at  3.50  and  the  cortege  did 
not  start  until  4.45. 

Without  order  we  all,  as  it  were,  tumbled  over  each 
other,  and,  preceding  the  body,  walked  about  a  mile 
through  the  streets  towards  the  tomb,  which  was  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  citadel,  where  the  royal  family  are 
laid  to  rest.  Ahead  of  us  were  first  a  guard  of  soldiers, 
with  arms  reversed;  they  were  followed  by  a  crowd  of 
men  and  boys  —  without  order  —  who  sang,  groaned 


FUNERAL  OF  PRINCE  OSMAN  179 

and  chanted;  then  we  came,  Europeans,  a  dozen  or  more, 
and  notable  personages,  Turks  and  Arabs  intermingled; 
and  then  followed  again  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys;  and 
on  each  side  of  the  street  servants  carrying  plates  and 
embroidered  cushions,  in  number  about  fifty,  walked  in 
an  orderly  way.  These,  with  the  crowd  of  singing  and 
howling  men  and  boys,  were  followed  by  about  thirty 
carriages,  containing  the  princesses  and  royal  ladies. 
Von  Miiller,  Tugini,  and  I  stopped  and  stood  on  the  side- 
walk after  we  had  gone  about  a  mile,  and  there  waited 
until  the  cortege  had  passed. 

My  carriage  coming  along  shortly  afterwards,  I  was 
driven  home,  where  I  picked  up  Louise  and  took  her  to 
Baron  Oppenheim's  tea.  There  we  met  the  best  world 
of  Cairo's  life. 

An  amusing  incident,  to  me,  at  least,  occurred  when  we 
were  about  to  leave.  In  the  entrance  hall,  which  was 
cut  off  from  the  exit  door  by  a  large  screen,  giving  to  the 
hall  the  appearance  of  a  room,  we  met  Major-General 
Sir  Francis  Grenfell  and  Lady  Grenfell,  with  aides,  just 
coming  in,  and  they  were  preceded  a  couple  of  paces 
by  a  large,  handsome,  florid-faced  gentleman,  whom  it 
seemed  to  me  I  had  met  somewhere  in  town,  but  whom 
I  could  not  place  —  not  an  uncommon  failing  of  mine. 
He  had  a  pleasant  expression,  not  exactly  of  recognition 
(I  now  realize),  but  enough  to  have  me  mistake  for 
that  what  was  intended  for  a  "look  pleasant."  As  we 
reached  one  another  I  felt  sure  he  was  some  one  that  I 
had  met,  —  doubly  sure,  —  so  I  extended  my  hand,  which 
he  took,  and  I  exclaimed  in  the  heartiest  manner  pos- 
sible, giving  him  a  friendly  shake — "How  are  you  to- 
day, I  hope  you  are  very  well!"  He  smiled  a  reply, 


180  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

but  I  thought,  as  he  said,  "Very  well,"  that  he  had  not 
quite  come  up  to  the  warmth  of  my  greeting.  He  did 
not  stop  to  talk,  but  passed  straight  on,  and  then,  seeing 
General  Grenfell  and  wife  following  immediately  after- 
wards, I  realized  —  it  came  to  me  all  at  once  —  that  I 
had  just  jammed  the  knuckles  of  His  Royal  Highness 
the  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ! !  He  afterwards  asked 
to  have  Louise  presented  to  him,  when  he  spoke  of  pretty 
Mrs.  Dulles,  whom  he  had  met  at  Kissingen,  and  of 
Harry,  my  nephew,  with  whom  he  had  played  tennis. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  "Diplomatic 
Dinner,"  as  she  called  it,  given  by  Countess  Landberg, 
in  the  reserved  apartments,  at  Shepheard's.  All  the  for- 
eign Ministers  were  present,  with  their  wives  (those  who 
had  them),  except  Osborg,  the  Swede  (this  was  noticeable, 
as  Landberg  is  Swedish),  who  a  few  years  back  was  the 
Minister  from  Stockholm  to  Cairo.  Something  evidently 
has  happened.  Thirty  sat  down,  among  the  guests  the 
son  and  heir  of  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.  He 
sat  on  the  right  of  Countess  Landberg;  the  Count  sat 
opposite.  I  was  placed  between  Baron  Heidler  and  Sir 
Elwin  Palmer. 

I  did  not  think  the  Countess  Landberg's  dinner  equaled 
that  which  I  gave  at  Shepheard's.  The  menu  was  not 
so  well  chosen  nor  were  the  wines  so  good.  After  the 
dinner  there  was  a  dance,  to  which  she  had  invited  about 
one  hundred  people.  Both  the  restaurant  and  table 
d'hote  room  were  given  up.  It  was  a  great  success,  es- 
pecially the  cotillion  that  followed.  Louise  and  I  did  not 
wait,  but  took  our  leave  at  11.15. 

Saturday  —  February  12.    A  busy  morning,  with  the 


A  PLEASANT  BREAKFAST  181 

Moors,  their  interpreter,  and  the  Agency's  dragoman, 
who  is  a  lawyer,  and  who,  with  his  uncle,  came  to  assist 
in  the  interview  and  make  all  clear  to  the  Moors  what 
they  were  doing  and  what  obligations  I  assumed  in  the 
collection  of  their  $12,000.  After  they  had  gone,  Mr. 
Peck  came  in,  and  he  was  followed  by  Judge  Tuck,  who 
remained  to  luncheon.  While  they  were  here  one  of  the 
Khedive's  chamberlains  called,  to  tell  me  that  His  High- 
ness would  give  me  an  audience  to  present  Mr.  Vander- 
bilt,  on  Thursday  next,  at  3  P.M. 

At  2.45  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Vernissage,  or  open- 
ing of  the  Cairo  Salon  exhibition  of  paintings,  and  there 
we  remained  until  after  four  o'clock,  meeting  everybody 
who  was  anybody,  including  Prince  Mehemet  Ali.  We 
then  paid  visits,  leaving  cards  on  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peck, 
at  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre;  on  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robertson, 
Chief  of  the  Railways,  at  the  Continental,  and  on  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wilcox  at  their  own  house.  We  met  General 
and  Mrs.  Muir  and  had  a  chat  with  them.  We  drove, 
after  our  visits,  around  Ghezireh  Island.  The  wind  was 
too  high  for  a  pleasant  turn. 

Sunday  —  February  13.  Indoors  all  the  morning, 
mostly  helping  Fero  put  together  the  new  Cutler  desk 
which  had  lately  arrived  from  Philadelphia,  for  my 
office.  It  proved  a  puzzle,  in  some  parts  too  much  for 
us;  but  we  succeeded  sufficiently  for  all  practical  pur- 
poses. I  then  went  to  my  room  to  dress  for  the  breakfast 
to  which  we  had  invited  a  half-dozen  people,  Mrs.  Mason 
Bey,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell,  Mr.  Manskopf,  of  Frank- 
fort, Germany,  and  Miss  Lewis.  We  had  a  delicious 
breakfast  and  quite  a  good  time,  all  present  being  con- 


182  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

genial.  Mr.  Manskopf  was  especially  entertaining,  and 
Newell  told  two  amusing  stories  —  chanting  one  in  imi- 
tation of  the  choir-master,  who  intoned,  "Who  is  that 
pretty  girl  coming  up  the  aisle?"  and  was  answered,  "You 
have  not  the  right  to  ask  —  it  is  the  daughter  of  the 
Bishop,"  in  the  same  Church  intoned  service  voice.  Then 
the  other:  "The  clerk  giving  notice  in  broad  English  — 
'Morning  service  will  be  held  to-morrow  at  eight  o'clock 
at  the  North  End;  and  evening  service  at  four  o'clock 
the  next  day  at  the  South  End;  and  infants  on  Wednes- 
day at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  will  be  baptized  at 
both  ends!!'" 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  went  to  Mme.  de  Willebois  to 
attend  a  meeting  of  ladies  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  on 
some  charity  fete  to  be  given  in  the  Esbekieh  Gardens. 
I  drove  out  with  my  secretary  searching  for  rooms  for, 
and  at  the  request  of,  my  friend  Mr.  Guilford  Smith,  and 
afterwards  to  Ghezireh  Palace  and  back.  Ate  dinner  at 
home  and  in  the  evening  read  my  United  States  mail, 
just  in.  To  bed  at  eleven  o'clock. 

Monday  —  February  14.  In  my  office  before  eight 
o'clock,  and  busy  letter-writing.  The  Moors  came  in 
about  ten,  and  with  Watts  worked  over  their  matter  until 
twelve,  and  after  two  until  four,  finally  getting  all  of  the 
papers  in  what  I  hope  will  prove  good  shape. 

Mr.  Henszey  dropped  in,  among  others,  and  told  me  of 
having  received  an  order  from  the  Railway  Department 
for  fifteen  American  design  locomotives  —  that  the  prices 
were  less  than  the  Belgian  or  English,  and  that  officials 
here  were  "kicking  themselves"  because  they  had  not 
waited,  before  sending  an  order  to  Belgium  for  forty,  to 


DINNER  TO  TIGRANE  PASHA  183 

know  the  figure  at  which  the  American  could  have  been 
sold.  Forty  is  really  all  that  the  Government  needs; 
but  as  the  Belgians  will  take  so  long  to  supply,  even  a 
part,  the  fifteen  are  ordered  from  the  United  States  be- 
cause they  can  be  delivered  quickly ! !  Mr.  Henszey 
offered  the  whole  forty  in  four  months,  while  the  Bel- 
gium people  will  require  eighteen  ! !  To-day  was  our  din- 
ner to  Ti^rane  Pasha,  to  which  we  invited,  according  to 
the  following  sketch  of  the  table: 


Mahmud 
Bey 

Countess 
della  Sala 

T.  S.  H. 

Mrs.  Watts 
Mn  Morlcy 

Count 
ddla  Sala 

Mr,  Watts 

Mr  Rodd 

Louise 

Tigrane 
Pasha 

Mrs. 
Rodd 

Mahmud  Bey  —  the  son  of  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  the 
Turkish  Commissioner,  and  a  colonel  in  the  Turkish  Army, 
who  married  a  sister  of  Princess  Fuad,  who  never  lived 
with  her,  but  who  lately  gained  a  lawsuit  in  the  division 
of  her  parents'  estate  of  £250,000  —  is  a  handsome  and 
very  well-educated  and  accomplished  man  of  about  thirty 
years.  He  spoke  French  beautifully.  Louise  was  very  much 
pleased  with  him.  The  dinner  was  very  fair. 

The  rooms  were  really  beautiful  and  I  was  very  proud 
of  our  display,  dinner-table  and  all.  Louise  wore  her  rose- 
colored  Paquin  dress  —  and  looked  lovely.  Poor  dear, 
she  has  had  a  "head"  all  day  and  at  6.30  thought  she 
would  be  obliged  to  go  to  bed;  but  she  struggled  through 


184  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and  dressed,  making  her  appearance  downstairs  before 
eight.  Before  the  dinner  was  a  quarter  through,  she  was 
perfectly  well  —  the  food,  some  wine,  and  the  excite- 
ment were  the  doctor  that  cured! 

Tuesday  —  February  15.  This  morning  I  was  waited 
upon  early  by  a  Mr.  Onativia,  of  New  York,  who  was 
in  Cairo  with  a  Mrs.  Jerome  and  wished  me  to  marry 
them!  They  had  both  been  divorced  from  their  respec- 
tive partners,  and  had  been  traveling  together  with  a 
cousin  of  Mrs.  Jerome's,  a  Miss  Zane._  Mrs.  Jerome  was 
a  Miss  Hastings,  a  daughter  of  Supreme  Court  Judge 
Hastings,  a  "forty-niner"  of  California.  I  told  him  I 
would  perform  the  ceremony  to-morrow  morning  at  9.30 
if  I  legally  might. 

!•  During  the  day,  looking  over  the  Consular  Instruc- 
tions from  the  Department  of  State,  I  found  that  I  was 
forbidden,  so  sent  word  to  Mr.  Onativia.  He  called  upon 
me  afterwards  and  showed  me  the  decrees  of  divorce  — 
one  from  Montana  and  one  from  California.  I  advised 
him  to  see  Mr.  Harvey,  the  Presbyterian  minister,  chief 
of  the  American  Missions,  and  if  he  would  consent  to 
unite  the  couple,  to  be  here  to-morrow  morning  at  9.30. 

Mr.  Bradlee  and  Roger  and  Mr.  Bishop  called,  and  in 
the  afternoon  Louise  had  her  weekly  reception,  at  which 
seventy  or  eighty  people  crowded  the  rooms.  Mrs.  Biddle 
and  Miss  Christine,  with  Miss  Lydia  Baird,  a  cousin; 
Lady  Palmer;  the  Countess  della  Sala;  Mrs.  Kimball; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Harper,  of  New  York;  and  Mrs.  Peck 
were  among  the  callers.  The  last  to  go  left  the  house 
about  seven  o'clock,  so  we  had  our  usual  three  hours  of 
hard  work;  and  though  gratified  at  what  seemed  to  be  the 


A  MORNING  WEDDING  185 

popularity  of  the  house,  we  were  glad  that  a  week  must 
intervene  before  a  repetition  of  such  expression. 

Wednesday  —  February  16.  This  has  been  a  very  in- 
teresting day  —  the  day  of  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Onativia 
and  Mrs.  Jerome;  of  Judge  Tuck  lunching  with  us  — 
pot-luck;  and  of  the  Military  Torchlight  Tattoo.  About 
9.15,  Mr.  Onativia  made  his  appearance  dressed  for  a 
morning  wedding,  and  was  followed  shortly  afterwards  by 
Dr.  Harvey,  of  the  American  Missions,  and  Judge  Tuck, 
whom  I  had  invited  to  pass  upon  the  legality  of  the  di- 
vorce certificates.  About  ten  o'clock  Mrs.  Jerome  came, 
accompanied  by  Miss  Zane,  who  seemed  about  twenty- 
six  or  twenty-eight.  Mrs.  Jerome  acknowledged  her 
age  as  thirty-three  on  the  certificate  I  was  called  upon 
to  give.  It  took  Mr.  Watts  some  time  to  prepare  the 
papers,  and  meanwhile  I  joined  Onativia  and  the  ladies 
in  my  private  office,  where  the  ceremony  was  to  be  per- 
formed. Mrs.  Jerome  is  a  very  pretty  likeness  of  Mrs. 
"Willie"  Curtin,  and  with  much  of  the  same  vivacity. 
She  made  herself  at  home  very  quickly,  and  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  talk  of  her  divorced  husband,  and  why  she,  after 
fourteen  years  of  married  life,  had  felt  compelled  to 
separate  from  him.  She  told  me  she  had  a  sister  who 
was  divorced  two  years  ago,  at  fifty-four  years  of  age, 
a  grandmother,  and  had  since  married  a  man  of  sixty!  — 
so  it  runs  in  the  family. 

The  marriage  service  was  read  very  impressively  by 
Dr.  Harvey,  and  after  he  had  gone,  the  couple,  being 
pressed  by  us  all  to  remain,  not  to  hurry  off,  we  sat  down 
and  had  a  very  jolly  time  telling  stories,  the  first  of  which 
was  by  Mr.  Onativia,  in  illustration  of  a  toast  at  a  wed- 


186  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

ding  breakfast:  "We  came  into  this  world  naked  and 
bare  —  where  we  shall  go,  let  it  give  us  no  care ;  if 
we've  been  a  thoroughbred  here,  we'll  be  a  thoroughbred 
there!" 

Then  Mrs.  Onativia  told  a  story  on  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  reminded  by  having  been  married  by  Dr.  Har- 
vey, of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions:  "  A  gentleman 
had  called  on  a  celebrated  dentist  to  make  a  set  of  teeth 
for  him;  he  was  plastered  and  measured,  and  two  weeks 
afterwards,  by  appointment,  called  again  to  get  the  fin- 
ished set.  It  was  ready  for  him  and  was  put  into  his 
mouth  before  leaving  the  dentist's  chair.  He  put  his 
jaws  together,  went  through  the  motion  of  mastication, 
and  was,  apparently,  well  pleased.  He  then  got  up  and 
went  to  a  mirror,  hanging  against  the  wall,  as  if  to  look 
at  himself  to  see  if  his  appearance  was  satisfactory.  He 
smiled,  showing  the  teeth,  and  then  suddenly  and  for- 
cibly ejaculated,  "Jesus  Christ!!"  The  dentist  was  as- 
tounded and  could  hardly  believe  his  ears,  and  before 
he  was  over  his  astonishment,  the  man  again  said,  "Jesus 
Christ !  I"  in  a  voice  more  audible,  if  possible.  By  this 
time  the  dentist,  feeling  outraged,  stepped  forward  and 
was  about  to  protest,  but  before  he  could  utter  a  word, 
the  man  again  called  out,  "Jesus  Christ ! !"  and  then  the 
dentist,  by  this  time  at  his  side,  took  him  by  the  shoulders 
and  said,  "Sir,  I  am  surprised  at  you  —  you,  apparently 
a  gentleman.  I  permit  no  such  blasphemous  language 
here  and  will  have  no  repetition  of  it."  "Blasphemous 
language?  I  am  a  Presbyterian  clergyman.  Heretofore, 
before  being  so  perfectly  and  comfortably  fitted  with  the 
teeth  you  have  just  made  for  me  and  which  I  am  now 
enjoying,  I  have  been  unable  to  utter  the  name  of  our 


STORY  OF  A  SET  OF  TEETH  187 

Blessed  Saviour  without  whistling,  and  I  was  only  try- 
ing the  happy  effect  of  the  new  set !  I" 

This  led  to  a  story  of  a  Catholic  priest  who  was  cele- 
brating in  his  country  church  some  religious  fete  that 
had  crowded  the  edifice.  Anticipating  a  large  number  of 
his  flock  to  be  present,  and  wishing  especially  to  impress 
upon  them  the  solemnity  of  his  words  when  he  asked  a 
blessing  upon  them  and  the  charitable  work  upon  which 
they  were  about  to  engage,  he  made  an  arrangement 
with  "Pat,"  the  sexton,  to  get  a  dove,  to  take  it  to  the 
loft  of  the  church,  and  when  he,  the  priest,  said,  "And  the 
Holy  Ghost  descended  from  above  and  blessed  all  the  peo- 
ple," Pat  was  to  drop  the  dove  through  the  ceiling  ven- 
tilator. The  time  came.  The  priest  in  a  deep,  solemn 
voice  said,  "And  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  from  above 
and  blessed  all  the  people";  then  paused  for  the  dove, 
but  nothing  appearing,  in  a  louder  tone  he  repeated  — 
"And  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  from  above  and  blessed 
all  the  people";  still  no  sign  from  Pat.  Calling  out  then 
in  a  still  louder  voice,  the  priest  almost  angrily  hollowed, 
"And  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  from  above  and  the 
blessing  of  God  fell  upon  his  people,"  when  Pat,  putting 
his  head  through  the  opening,  called  out,  "The  kitty 
has  aten  the  Holy  Ghost;  shall  I  send  him  down  in  kitty?" 

Tuck  told  a  couple  of  stories  and  I  added  some  of 
mine  —  fresh  fruit  to  my  new  audience.  After  remaining 
over  a  half-hour,  with  our  wishes  for  a  happy  life,  the 
couple  and  Miss  Zane  withdrew. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  paid  visits,  going  out  to 
Ghezireh  Palace,  and  in  the  evening,  Tuck  calling  for 
me  at  nine  o'clock,  I  went  with  him  to  the  Military  Tat- 
too, a  beautiful  and  interesting  exhibition  at  the  barracks 


188  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

at  Kasr-el-Nil,  an  immense  pile  of  buildings  in  which, 
it  is  said,  ten  thousand  men  can  be  housed. 

The  tattoo  took  place  in  one  of  the  inner  courts  or 
squares.  This  was  a  space  of  about  four  acres,  surrounded 
on  three  sides  with  the  barracks  building  three  stories 
high.  There  are  three  such  squares.  The  one  in  which 
we  were  was  the  center  one,  and  was  well  protected 
against  the  wind.  The  fagade  of  the  immense  pile  —  the 
three  sides  —  were  illumined  with  thousands  of  red  and 
white  lights  in  straight  and  oval  lines,  following  the  con- 
struction of  the  openings  or  windows.  In  the  center  of 
the  square  was  a  clump  of  acacia  trees,  on  the  branches 
of  which  were  hung  lamps  of  various  colors,  and  around 
them,  at  their  base,  were  collected  fifty  or  more  torch- 
bearers  with  blazing  fagots  of  fat  pine,  in  iron  baskets, 
at  the  top  of  the  long  torch  poles.  Stationed  throughout 
the  square,  in  positions  to  illumine  the  whole  grounds, 
were  groups  of  torch-bearers,  whose  ruddy  torches  made 
bright  the  men  in  their  brilliant  uniforms  and  all  the  sur- 
roundings. On  entering  the  square  through  the  wide 
gateway,  I  was  met  by  an  aide  of  Major-General  Sir 
Francis  Grenfell,  who  conducted  Judge  Tuck  and  me  to 
the  General's  stand,  at  which  he  came  forward,  greeted 
us  very  cordially,  and  showed  us  to  chairs.  In  front  of 
our  stand,  —  the  Commander-in-Chief 's,  —  of  course,  the 
principal  show  took  place;  but  all  of  the  bands,  with 
torch-bearers,  after  passing  in  review  in  front  of  us, 
walked  around  the  square  and,  finishing,  assembled  about 
the  group  of  trees  in  the  center.  When  the  four  bands 
had  all  passed  by,  one  after  the  other,  at  intervals  of 
a  few  minutes,  first  having  been  called  by  the  buglers, 
—  who  on  the  opening  of  the  show  and  at  its  close 


SINKING  OF  THE  MAINE  189 

played  a  fanfare,  —  they  gathered,  as  I  have  said,  under 
the  trees,  and  one  bandmaster  after  another  conducted 
the  whole  four  in  the  rendition  of  various  selections.  The 
entertainment  lasted  until  11.30.  Tuck  and  I  walked 
home. 

February  17 —  Thursday.  A  very  busy  day  again.  Be- 
sides a  number  of  visitors,  especially  a  Mr.  Barge,  who 
pestered  me  to  present  him  and  Mr.  Churchill  to  the 
Khedive,  I  had  my  time  fully  taken  up :  first,  reading  my 
mail  from  the  United  States,  which  came  in  last  night, 
but  remained  untouched  until  this  morning,  and  after 
that,  at  ten  o'clock,  I  paid  a  visit  to  His  Highness  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali  and  to  Mr.  Smart,  an  Englishman  who  is 
stopping  with  him,  both  having  called  on  me  about  a 
week  ago. 

I  then  drove  to  Shepheard's  to  see  James  Gordon  Ben- 
nett about  the  catastrophe  to  the  battleship  Maine, 
which  has  been  sunk  in  the  harbor  of  Havana  —  an  ac- 
count of  which  had  been  given  me  by  him  through  Mr. 
David  Wolfe  Bishop,  the  night  before.  Mr.  Bennett 
had  gone  out,  but  he  called  on  me  during  the  afternoon 
and  read  to  me  the  dispatches  he  had  received  up  to  that 
moment.  We  agreed  that  the  situation  was  very  grave. 

Mr.  Bennett  consoled  me  by  saying  the  United  States 
was  fully  prepared  for  war  with  Spain;  that  he  knew 
that  all  arrangements  had  been  completed  by  the  au- 
thorities at  Washington  to  land  100,000  men  in  Cuba, 
via  Tampa,  within  ten  days  of  a  declaration  of  war,  and 
to  send  sufficient  men  of  war  to  take  Barcelona,  Valen- 
tia,  and  Cadiz;  that  Spain  was  now  like  France  before 
the  war  with  Prussia  —  entirely  unprepared  —  and  that 


190  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  United  States  were  as  Germany,  ready.  He  agreed 
with  me  that  the  injury  to  the  ship  was  rather  from  the 
outside  than  within  the  vessel. 

At  one  o'clock  we  had  luncheon,  or  breakfast,  and  the 
following  assisted:  Miss  Bronson,  the  two  Misses  Bend, 
Miss  Nasmith,  daughter  of  Countess  Montjoie,  Louise,  as 
ladies,  and  M.  Prevost,  Secretary  of  the  French  Legation, 
Baron  Neghi,  Fakhri  Bey,  my  secretary,  and  I,  for  men. 

Besides  Mr.  Bennett,  in  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Bradlee, 
of  Boston,  and  Mr.  Bishop  called;  after  they  had  gone 
I  received  a  telegram  from  His  Royal  Highness  the 
Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  expressing  his  sincere  sym- 
pathy for  the  loss  of  the  Maine  and  the  men  who  lost 
their  lives.  I  promptly  replied,  thanking  him  in  the 
name  of  the  American  people.  Louise  and  I,  who  were 
engaged  to  go  to  the  theater  to  see  "Les  deux  Gosses," 
which  had  a  run  of  four  hundred  nights  in  Paris,  decided 
not  to  go  and  sat  at  home  to  enjoy  "domestic  bliss"  and 
the  latest  newspapers  from  America.  I  forgot  to  men- 
tion that  at  2.45  P.M.  I  called  at  Shepheard's  for  Mr. 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  according  to  appointment,  and 
took  him,  in  my  victoria,  the  sices  running  ahead,  to 
Abdin  Palace,  to  present  him  to  the  Khedive.  Mr.  Fear- 
ing, one  of  Mr.  Vanderbilt' s  party,  followed  in  another 
carriage.  Poor  Vanderbilt,  though  much  better  than 
when  he  arrived  here  about  two  months  ago,  is  a  wreck; 
his  right  arm,  and  side,  too,  I  think,  are  completely  para- 
lyzed, the  arm  utterly  useless.  I  assisted  him  into  the 
carriage  and  from  it;  he  leaned  needfully  upon  me  mount- 
ing and  descending  the  stairway  in  the  Palace.  There 
were  four  flights  to  ascend,  and  by  the  time  he  reached 
the  top  he  was  pretty  well  exhausted. 


CORNELIUS  VANDERBILT  191 

His  Highness  did  not  detain  us,  as  was  usual,  by  hav- 
ing us  first  shown  into  the  large  reception-room  on  the 
left,  but  saw  us  immediately.  Mr.  Vanderbilt  leaned 
upon  my  right  arm,  carrying  in  his  left  hand,  which  he 
had  passed  over  my  arm,  his  hat  and  cane;  of  course, 
with  his  right  hand  helpless,  when  it  came  to  shake  hands 
with  the  Khedive  his  only  live  hand  and  arm  were  filled, 
or  locked  with  mine.  For  a  moment  there  was  some  em- 
barrassment, but  I  managed  to  get  the  hat  and  cane 
from  him.  and  that  permitted  the  two  to  "shake."  His 
Highness  as  usual  led  the  way  to  the  extreme  end  of 
the  room,  and  there  patiently  awaited  Mr.  Vanderbilt's 
coming  —  he  had  moved  painfully  and  exhaustedly.  The 
Khedive  sat,  and  motioned  us  to  seats. 

It  appears  that  in  the  fumbling  with  Vanderbilt's  hat 
and  cane  I  had  had  no  chance  to  shake  hands  with  His 
Highness  at  the  first  meeting,  and  he  had  remembered 
it  and  quite  gayly  reminded  me.  As  wras  usual,  the  audi- 
ence was  of  only  five  minutes'  duration.  It  was  stupid; 
for  Mr.  Vanderbilt  did  not  speak  except  in  monosyllables, 
even  in  reply  to  questions.  The  Khedive  did  not  have 
much  to  say  except  about  the  weather  and  the  storms 
on  the  Mediterranean,  and  I  did  n't  like  to  pull  my  con- 
versational oar  too  hard;  so  there  were  short  intervals  of 
silence  during  the  meeting.  At  last  His  Highness  rose, 
and  after  heartily  shaking  hands  again,  gave  us  our 
conge.  I  drove  Mr.  Vanderbilt  back  to  Shepheard's. 

Friday  —  February  18.  My  secretary  and  I  started 
off  early  on  errands,  he  going  to  the  market.  There  he 
bought  some  fine  turkeys  and  sweetbreads  for  to-mor- 
row night's  "Surprise  Party."  When  I  returned  to  the 


192  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Agency  I  found  Mr.  Sankey,  of  Moody  and  Sankey  fame, 
with  a  clerical  gentleman,  awaiting  me.  Sankey  had 
been  up  the  river  and  had  been  singing  at  the  different 
stations  of  the  Presbyterian  Board.  As  he  was  depart- 
ing ex-Governor  Flower,  of  New  York,  came  in  —  a  jolly 
old  fellow,  bulky  and  good-natured,  not  over-refined 
either  in  manner  or  appearance.  The  office  was  run  down 
with  applications  for  passports  and  vises. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  soon  as  I  could  get  free  from  visi- 
tors, I  started  out  for  the  "Sphinx"  office  to  give  Louise's 
and  Mrs.  Drexel's  contributions  to  the  Society  for  Pre- 
vention of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  House  quite  uncomfort- 
able, due  to  the  presence  of  workmen  hammering  and 
turning  things  upside  down  for  the  "Surprise  Party." 
About  dinner  time  I  received  an  invitation  from  His 
Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha  to 
lunch  with  him  at  the  Khedivial  Club  on  Monday  next, 
which  I  promptly  accepted. 

We  dined  at  home  and  in  the  evening,  starting  from 
the  Legation  at  eleven  o'clock,  we  were  driven  to  Ghe- 
zireh  Casino  to  attend  a  ball  given  by  Lady  Grenfell,  at 
which  the  women  were  requested  to  come  in  dress  as  the 
styles  of  Louis  XV  and  Louis  XVI,  and  the  men  in  Court 
dress.  The  women  were  all  attired  as  requested,  and 
a  great  many  of  the  men;  they,  mingled  with  the  red- 
coated  soldiers  and  picturesquely  kilted  Highlanders, 
made  a  brave  show.  The  Diplomatic  Corps  wore  evening 
suits,  wearing  decorations,  those  that  had  any.  I  car- 
ried about  my  neck  the  ribbon  and  insignium  of  the 
Loyal  Legion,  and  wore  on  my  left  breast  the  insignium 
of  the  Grand  Army.  I  was  requested  to  take  the  wife  of 
Colonel  Gordon  in  to  supper.  Louise  was  escorted  by 


A  SURPRISE  PARTY  193 

one  of  the  Ministers  of  the  Khedive,  Fakhri  Pasha,  head 
of  the  Department  of  Public  Works.  The  supper,  as  is 
usual  at  large  affairs  provided  by  hotels,  was  sufficient 
in  variety,  but  deficient  in  quality.  We  reached  home 
at  1.45  A.M. 

Saturday  —  February  19.  In  my  work-room  early,  and 
before  my  "little  breakfast"  had  written  up  the  greater 
part  of  a  page  of  this  journal.  Watts  and  I,  in  the  morn- 
ing, prepared  papers  for  transmission  to  Langmuir,  re- 
specting the  collection  of  the  $12,000  Moorish  claim, 
and  then  Louise  and  I  took  a  stroll  of  about  an  hour,  re- 
turning to  the  house  just  in  time  for  luncheon.  Every- 
thing is  being  subordinated  to  the  preparations  for  this 
evening's  "Surprise  Party,"  which  originated  last  week 
after  the  breakfast  that  we  gave  to  Miss  Bronson  and 
others  —  from  a  suggestion  of  Mr.  Newell  and  Miss 
Lewis.  Neither  Louise  nor  I  was  to  see  the  list  of  those 
invited;  in  fact,  all  Louise  was  to  do  was  to  receive  those 
that  came,  and  I  to  foot  the  bill  incident  to  the  enter- 
tainment ! !  The  following  is  the  form  of  invitations  sent 
out;  and  the  replies  came  to  the  sender  whose  card  was 
tied  to  the  invitation: 

You  are  cordially  invited  to  the  "Surprise  Party"  given  to 
Mrs.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison  at  the  United  States  Agency  on 
Saturday,  February  19th,  9  o'clock  until  midnight. 

-"  There  were,  I  should  think,  not  less  than  a  hundred 
and  twenty  people  in  the  house,  and  yet  it  did  not  seem 
overcrowded.  Of  course  all  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
had  been  invited,  but  Lord  Cromer,  being  "up  the  river," 
was  not  present;  nor  were  von  Miiller  or  Baron  Heidler. 


194  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

The  company  was  made  up  largely  of  American  tourists 
but  little  known  to  us  as  well  as  a  lot  of  foreigners  that 
my  secretary  had  chosen,  I  think,  to  pay  off  obligations 
that  he  owed,  somewhat  to  my  present  dissatisfaction. 
Mr.  Watts's  room  was  made  the  apartment  for  the  piano 
and  orchestra  of  six  pieces.  The  large  double  doors  be- 
tween his  room  and  mine  were  unhung,  and  the  musicians 
sat  partly  in  the  open  doorway.  My  room  adjoining 
had  been  cleared  of  all  its  furniture,  and  the  floor  cov- 
ered with  crash  for  the  cotillion.  The  doors  to  the  ante- 
salon  and  to  the  den,  from  my  room,  were  also  unhung 
and  removed.  Lighted,  as  were  the  ante-salon,  the  salon, 
the  dining-room,  which  had  been  turned  into  a  sitting- 
room,  and  den,  with  chandeliers  holding  thirty,  twenty- 
eight,  twenty-two,  and  twenty-four  candles,  the  rooms 
were  very  brilliant  and  excited  great  comment  and  ad- 
miration. Prince  Ibrahim,  brother  of  the  Princess  Fuad, 
was  among  the  guests. 

The  non-dancers  went  to  supper  about  midnight.  It 
was  served  on  the  second  floor  in  the  large  morning-room 
and  in  the  wide  vestibule  that  led  to  it,  from  the  north 
room  and  service  stairway.  Small  tables  were  placed  in 
the  two  rooms,  with  chairs  about  them,  enough  to  seat 
ninety  people  at  one  time.  Along  one  side  of  the  vesti- 
bule was  ranged  a  long  table  on  which  were  the  cold 
dishes,  salads,  etc.  In  the  north  room  a  stove  for  heating 
had  been  placed  and  served  its  purpose  well. 

Downstairs,  the  veranda,  communicating  with  the 
salon  and  den,  had  been  enclosed  by  a  canvas-tent- 
applique-colored  stuff  and  in  it  had  been  placed  the 
dining-room  table,  extended  its  full  length.  On  this  was 
the  buffet  collation,  consisting  of  sandwiches,  cakes, 


A  SURPRISE  PARTY  195 

bonbons,  Fish  House  punch,  champagne  cup,  lemonade, 
Scotch  whiskey-and-soda.  A  large  tub  upstairs  had  been 
filled  with  ice  to  cool  the  champagne!  About  a  dozen  or 
more  waiters  served  the  supper  from  table  to  table.  The 
cotillion  was  said  to  have  been  the  best,  though  small, 
that  has  been  given  this  winter.  It  was  led  by  M.  Pre- 
vost,  First  Secretary  of  the  French  Legation,  and  my 
secretary.  There  were  only  about  fifty-five  couples,  the 
room  not  being  large  enough  for  more.  About  twenty 
guests  left  before  supper;  and  the  last  one  to  leave  saw 
the  clock  in  the  den  mark  3.05  A.M.  Tired  out,  Louise 
and  I  rejoiced  when  it  was  all  over. 

Sunday  —  February  20.  Rose  at  8.45,  not  over-rested, 
and  took  my  "little  breakfast"  at  9.30.  House  in  the 
greatest  confusion,  due  to  work-people  removing  chairs, 
tables,  etc.,  sweeping  up  last  night's  mess,  and  getting 
things  in  their  customary  places  and  order.  Louise  did 
not  get  up  until  eleven  o'clock,  not  being  well  enough, 
when  we  both  went  out  to  get  rid  of  the  dirt  and  con- 
fusion, taking  a  street  carriage  and  being  driven  around 
Ghezireh  Island.  It  was  a  perfect  Egyptian  day,  rather 
warm  in  the  sun,  with  the  air  full  of  ozone,  fresh  and  pure, 
especially  after  we  had  crossed  the  river. 

We  have  sent  out  invitations  for  an  informal  breakfast 
for  Thursday  next,  inviting  Colonel  Cooper  and  wife, 
Colonel  Martin  and  Colonel  Green  and  others.  In  the 
afternoon  tried  to  sleep  for  an  hour,  but  gave  it  up  by 
3.30  without  having  succeeded  for  a  minute.  At  4.30 
Louise  and  I  took  our  Sunday  afternoon  drive,  as  usual; 
only  to-day  we  went  on  the  Pyramid  road,  almost  to 
the  first  village.  There  were  countless  carriages,  bicycles 


196  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and  equestrians,  to  say  nothing  of  the  donkeys  and  Arabs 
that  helped  to  crowd  the  road.  Dined  at  home  and  read 
mail  and  latest  papers  from  home  and  Paris. 

Monday  —  February  21.  In  the  office,  as  usual,  early, 
and  attacked  my  accumulated  correspondence.  The  office 
was  more  or  less  crowded  all  the  morning,  especially 
Mr.  Watts's  room,  and  among  the  callers  were  some  very 
agreeable  Americans  from  Kentucky.  The  bride  and 
groom,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Onativia,  called.  At  one  o'clock 
the  breakfast  given  by  His  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of 
Saxe-Goburg-Gotha  was  served  at  the  Khedivial  Glub. 
All  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  with  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali, 
Mr.  Rennell  Rodd,  First  Secretary,  to  represent  Lord 
Cromer,  who  was  "up  the  river,"  and  Mr.  Bainbridge, 
equerry  to  His  Royal  Highness,  were  present.  The  break- 
fast was  only  so-so. 

The  Duke  sat  on  one  side  of  the  table  with  von  Mtil- 
ler,  the  German  Minister,  vis-a-vis.  Next  to  His  Royal 
Highness,  on  his  right,  was  Boutros  Pasha,  and  on  his 
left,  de  Willebois,  who,  after  Lord  Cromer,  is  the 
"Doyen."  After  de  Willebois  came  Tugini,  then  Heidler, 
then  I,  and  next  to  me  Cogordan,  the  French  Minister, 
then  de  Rojas,  Spanish,  then  von  Miiller,  and  so  on  — 
fifteen  being  the  number  at  the  table.  After  the  break- 
fast we  adjourned  to  the  terrace,  overlooking  the  gar- 
den in  the  rear  of  the  club  house,  and  there  smoked. 
The  Duke  talked  to  the  different  members,  and  to  me; 
asked  about  the  disaster  to  the  Maine  and  the  de  Lome 
letter.  The  conversation  led  me  to  tell  the  two  stories 
that  I  have  related  herein,  whereat  he  laughed  heartily. 
Before  telling  them  I  asked  von  Miiller  how  he  would 


THE  COGORDAN  BALL  197 

take  the  telling  of  a  story;  von  Miiller  responded  most 
encouragingly  and  urged  me  to  tell  them. 

On  returning  to  the  Agency  I  felt  sleepy  enough  to  take 
a  good  nap,  in  anticipation  of  a  late  night  at  the  French 
Legation.  We  went  to  the  Cogordan  ball  at  eleven  o'clock 
and  remained  until  12.45  —  one  of  the  most  successful 
balls  I  have  ever  attended.  In  the  first  place,  the  palace 
is,  though  not  so  large  as  some,  the  most  beautiful  in  all 
Cairo,  especially  its  interior.  It  was  built  by  a  Frenchman 
in  the  time  of  Ismail,  and  they  say  many  mosques  were 
robbed  of  precious  carvings,  tiles,  and  marbles  and  alabas- 
ter to  form  part  of  the  construction,  decoration,  and  fin- 
ish. The  garden  had  been  partly  enclosed,  after  the  Arab 
fashion,  by  canvas  applique  patterns,  and  wood-floored, 
the  new  planking  covered  with  crash  for  dancing.  The  dec- 
orations and  lights  made  the  scene  a  fairy-land  and  such 
a  setting  for  the  beautifully  dressed  and  pretty  women,  the 
many-colored  uniforms  of  the  men  and  the  flashing  dia- 
monds on  stars  and  ribbons,  was  fitting  and  admirable. 
All  that  the  perfect  taste  of  French  art  could  do  was  done, 
and  exclamations  of  delight  were  heard  on  all  sides. 

Louise  danced  in  the  quadrille  d'honneur  with  Baron 
Heidler,  and  vis-a-vis  to  His  Royal  Highness,  the  Duke 
of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  and  after  the  dance  was  over,  she 
was  joined  by  the  Duke,  and  I  think  they  must  have 
talked  together  for  more  than  fifteen  minutes.  I  did  not 
dance,  but  joined  Louise  on  the  dancing-floor,  with  the 
Baroness  von  Billow,  where  we  made  a  party  of  our  own, 
including  Countess  della  Sala,  Countess  Montjoie,  Mile, 
de  Hoelzske,  Count  Zogheb,  and  others. 

Back  of  the  dancing-floor  was  a  buffet  with  a  variety  of 
sandwiches,  champagne  cup,  lemonade,  Scotch  whiskey- 


198  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and-soda,  bonbons,  etc.,  and  I  am  told  a  beautiful  if  not 
excellent  supper  was  provided  about  one  o'clock,  every- 
thing, however,  cold. 

Tuesday  —  February  22 — Washington's  Birthday.  I 
hoisted  the  flag  not  only  in  commemoration;  but  being 
Bairam,  the  first  of  the  Mussulman  festivals,  the  day 
that  the  Khedive  and  all  the  Princes  receive,  it  was  the 
proper  and  called-for  thing  to  do.  As  usual,  neither  my 
secretary  nor  chief  janissary  thought  of  it,  and  had  I  not, 
it  would  not  have  "floated  to  the  breeze."  At  ten  o'clock 
with  my  deputy,  in  my  victoria,  led  by  the  two  sices, 
and  followed  by  my  secretary  and  Mr.  Hewat,  who  had 
come  up  from  Alexandria  for  the  purpose  of  attending  His 
Highness' s  Reception,  we  started  for  the  Palace. 

The  streets  were  lined  on  either  side  with  curious  sight- 
seers, natives  and  foreigners,  many  of  whom  saluted  as 
the  principal  personages  drove  by.  On  our  arrival  we 
mounted  the  grand  stairway  and  joined  the  members  of 
the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  Consulates,  many  of  whom 
had  preceded  us.  All  were  dressed  in  their  gold-laced 
coats  and  wore  their  decorations.  I  wore  my  dress  navy 
uniform,  with  the  Loyal  Legion  ribbon  about  my  neck  and 
on  my  left  breast  the  insignium  of  the  Grand  Army. 

When  we  had  all  assembled,  His  Highness,  I  suppose, 
was  notified  and  then  the  signal  was  given  us  to  enter  the 
Throne  Room  beyond.  There,  not  far  from  the  door,  the 
Khedive  stood,  and  as  we  advanced,  he,  to  one  after  the 
other,  extended  his  hand.  To  me  he  gave  a  cordial  grasp 
and  said,  "I  am  glad  to  see  you."  After  all  had  shaken 
hands,  the  party  stood  at  ease,  and  de  Willebois  advanced 
in  place  of  Lord  Cromer,  who  was  still  "up  the  river," 


Mazloum  Pasha 


THE  KHEDIVE'S  RECEPTION  199 

and  addressed  His  Highness,  wishing  him  and  his  people 
health  and  happiness  and  congratulating  him  on  the  satis- 
factory condition  of  the  land.  His  Highness  replied  in  a 
few  words,  thanking  the  Diplomatic  Corps  and  Consular 
officers  and  then  led  the  way,  as  usual,  to  the  chairs 
ranged  along  the  sides,  where  we  were  served  with  coffee 
in  the  be-diamonded  zarfs  (cups)  and  cigarettes. 

After  this  ceremony  was  over  we  all  proceeded  to  a 
room  on  the  ground  floor,  where  we  wrote  our  names  in 
the  visitors'  book.  I  was  driven  back  at  once  to  the  Lega- 
tion, changed  my  clothes,  and  with  Watts  started  out  to 
make  the  round  of  visits  to  the  Ministers  and  Princes  of 
Mussulman  faith.  They  were: 

Prince  Mehemet  All  Chafik  Bey 

Faradjalla  Khan  Ahmed  Khari  Bey 

Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha  Saba  Bey 

Shukry  Pasha  Said  Bey  Zulsifer 

Osman  Bey  Hassan  Pasha  Assam 

Tahib  Bey  Princess  Naseli 

Prince  Ibrahim  Riaz  Pasha 

Prince  Djemil  Mohammed  Riaz 

Izzet  Bey  Djafer  Fakhri  Bey 

Mustapha  Fehmy  Prince  Ibrahim  Fuad 

Sidhy  Pasha  Prince  Said  Halim 

Fuad  Pasha  Prince  Gamal-el-Din 

Mazloum  Pasha  Maher  Pasha 

Chereef  Pasha  Emin  Fakhri  Pasha 
Choukry  Pasha 

I  affix  the  above  list  which  was  given  me  by  Mile,  de 
Willebois,  who  acts  as  her  father's  secretary  in  such 
matters.  We  reached  the  Agency  at  12.30,  after  having 
done  about  half  the  list.  I  forgot  to  say  that,  before  go- 
ing to  the  Palace  in  the  early  morning,  "Charlie "Collis 
called.  He  had  arrived  only  the  night  before. 


200  I  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Mr.  Hewat  and  Watts  took  lunch  with  us  to-day  and  at 
three  o'clock  Watts  and  I  started  out  again,  this  time  to 
complete  the  visits.  We  drove  from  palace  to  palace  until 
after  5.30,  in  most  places  being  obliged  to  enter,  smoke 
cigarettes,  drink 'coffee,  and  talk  French.  At  one  house, 
that  of  the  Governor  of  Cairo,  we  were  given  cinnamon 
tea,  very  much  sweetened! 

Wednesday  —  February  23.  To-day  has  been  the  busiest 
one  that  I  have  had  so  far  as  tourists  are  concerned.  They 
began  coming  at  9.45,  and  kept  it  up,  with  only  a  short 
interval  for  luncheon,  until  nearly  five  o'clock.  Watts 
had  had  his  trap  at  the  door  at  four,  but  was  obliged  to 
keep  it  waiting  until  five  o'clock.  Having  received  a  note 
from  Mrs.  Stevenson  the  night  before,  I  felt  constrained 
to  make  an  early  call  on  her  this  morning.  Although  I 
reached  Shepheard's  before  ten  o'clock,  she  had  already 
gone  out. 

On  returning  to  the  Legation,  I  found  a  number  of 
gentlemen,  with  letters  of  introduction,  awaiting  me, 
among  them  a  Mr.  McNeely,  Mr.  Kennedy,  Mr.  Bailey, 
and  some  other  Philadelphians  whom  I  have  never  met 
at  home.  They  brought  letters  from  John  R.  Reed  Mor- 
gan, of  Cooper,  Smith  and  Company,  and  Harry  Grant". 
During  the  day  I  think  we  must  have  issued  fifteen  or 
twenty  passports,  as  many  more  viseed  and  prepared  for 
the  teskara,  or  Turkish  authority,  to  travel  in  the  Otto- 
man dominions. 

I  had  invited  General  Collis  to  luncheon,  but  he  had  a 
chance  to  go  to  Sakkarah  with  a  party,  so  we  sat  down 
alone.  Collis  is  to  join  our  breakfast  party  with  Mrs. 
Stevenson  to-morrow.  The  day  was  almost  without  inci- 


TOURISTS  AND  CALLERS  201 

dent  —  only  the  coming  and1  departure  of  Americans. 
Some  wanted  invitations  to  Khedivial  balls,  others  pres- 
entations, without  delay,  to  the  Khedive,  and  again 
others  asked  if  I  could  arrange  that  they  could  see  a  Turk- 
ish wedding.  I  waited  patiently  for  some  of  the  men  to 
ask  if  entrance  to  a  harem  could  not  be  privately  ar- 
ranged !  ! 

I  had  a  very  pleasant  visit  by  Saba  Pasha,  Postmaster- 
General,  located  at  Alexandria.  He  had  been  to  the  United 
States  as  Delegate  from  Egypt  to  the  International  Postal 
Convention,  and  it  was  largely  through  him  that  Judge 
Batcheller  got  his  position  here.  He  spoke  English  very 
well. 

Thursday  —  February  24.  To-day  has  been  full  of  in- 
terest and  a  busy  one  for  me;  commenced  before  eight 
o'clock.  The  morning  was  largely  taken  up  by  callers 
who  brought  letters  of  introduction,  among  them  Rev. 
Henry  Baker,  President  McKinley's  pastor;  Mr.  Samuel 
Walter  Woodward,  of  Washington,  D.C.;  Mr.  Dolbeer,  of 
San  Francisco;  and  a  number  of  others  whose  names  I 
do  not  recall.  At  12.30  our  party  for  dejeuner  assembled, 
Mr.  Bradlee,  of  Boston,  coming  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  in  advance  of  the  others.  The  breakfast  was  one 
of  the  most  agreeable  we  have  given,  the  company  being, 
apparently,  most  sympathetic.  Colonel  Cooper  sat  on 
Louise's  right,  and  his  wife  on  my  left.  I  had  on  my  right 
Colonel  Martin,  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers,  who  had 
invited  me  January  1st,  past,  to  dine  with  his  mess.  The 
arrangement  of  the  table  is  shown  in  the  diagram  on 
page  202. 

We  served  sauterne,  mouton  Rothschild,  chambertin, 


202 


DIARY   OF  A  DIPLOMAT 


Mrs. 
Cooper 

Mr. 
Waits 

Mrs. 
Stevenson 

Mr. 
Bradlce 

T.S.H 

Louise 

Col. 
Martin 

Gent. 
Gollis 

Mrs.                My 
Watts        Secretary 

Col. 
Cooper 

and  port.  The  men  after  the  breakfast  sat  some  time  in 
my  office  smoking  and  telling  stories.  Colonel  Martin 
invited  me  to  dine  with  his  mess  at  the  Barracks  on 
Saturday,  March  5th.  Received  invitation  to-day  for 
Louise  and  self  to  dine  with  Riaz  Pasha,  one  of  the  past 
great  Premiers  of  Egypt,  he  and  Nubar  Pasha  having  been 
the  important  heads  of  the  Government  under  Khe- 
dive Tewfik.  I  received  an  invitation  as  well  from  Ghazi 
Mukhtar  Pasha,  the  Turkish  Commissioner,  for  Saturday, 
12th  of  March.  Riaz's  dinner  will  be  March  7th. 

In  the  afternoon,  after  the  guests  had  gone,  I  was  driven 
out  to  the  Khedivial  Sporting  Club  where  flat  and  hur- 
dle racing  was  going  on.  There  I  met  the  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Coburg-Gotha  and  had  quite  a  talk  with  him.  Had  a  letter 
of  introduction  presented  to  me  by  Mr.  Paton,  of  New 
York,  who  married  Miss  Marion  Rawle,  of  Philadelphia,1 
and  was  presented  to  her.  Lots  of  people  there  that  I  knew. 

Louise  took  a  carriage  with  the  Countess  della  Sala  to 
visit  the  Princesses,  who  received  during  Bairam.  Re- 
mained home  during  the  evening  and  read  the  Paris 
"New  York  Herald"  and  the  "Philadelphia  Ledger." 

1  Mrs.  Paton  is  now  Mme.  Bastianelli,  having  married,  after  Mr.  Paton's 
death,  the  eminent  Italian  physician.  (EDITOR.) 


DINNER  AT  THE  PALACE  203 

Friday — February  25.  In  the  office  at  7.45  and,  with 
the  interval  of  breakfast,  worked  hard  writing  letters 
until  noon,  first  having  had  a  talk  with  the  Dolbeer 
letter  man,  which  was  satisfactory,  though  very  disagree- 
able and  saddening.  The  crowds  keep  up,  mostly  to-day 
for  passports  and  visees.  Among  the  visitors  was  Rev. 
Henry  Baker,  pastor  of  President  McKinley's  church  in 
Washington.  I  was  out  of  the  office  for  the  moment  and 
Watts  thought  I  was  "not  in,"  so  I  missed  seeing  him. 
Mr.  Roswell  P.  Burchard,  editor  of  "Forest  and  Stream," 
and  wife  came  in  the  afternoon  and  made  quite  a  visit. 
Also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Angell,  all  of  whom  caught  Louise 
at  home  and  seemed  glad  of  it.  About  4.30  Louise  and  I 
made  visits  and  drove.  I  went  at  7.30  to  the  Palace  to 
dine,  on  the  following  invitation: 

Par  ordre  du  Khedive, 

Le  Grand  Maitre  des  Ceremonies  a  Phonneur  de  prier  Monsieur 
Thomas  Skelton  Harrison  de  vouloir  bien  venir  diner  au  Palais 
d'Abdine,  le  vendredi,  25,  fevrier,  1898,  a  sept  heures  et  demie  du 
soir,  en  frac  et  decorations. 

About  forty  sat  down  —  one  long  table  —  beautifully 
decorated  with  flowers  and  heavy  solid  silver —  epergnes, 
urns,  and  other  forms.  The  glass  was  handsome,  thin 
but  not  costly.  The  porcelain,  white  and  gold  with  the 
crown  on  it.  The  service,  of  course,  was  excellent,  the 
waiters  dressed  in  a  dark  rose-colored  cloth  with  gold 
braid  embroidery,  very  profusely  laid  on,  of  course, 
in  Arab  costume. 

The  soup,  as  is  usual  at  large  dinners,  was  cold,  but  of 
good  flavor  and  well  made.  Otherwise  the  dinner  was 
royal,  and  good.  The  celebrated  Johannisberger  hock 
was  very  liberally  served;  champagne  very  dry;  sauterne 


204  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and  sherry,  nothing  extra.  In  fact,  the  latter  was  be- 
low par,  decidedly.  I  sat  between  de  Rojas,  the  Spanish 
Minister,  and  Mahmud,  Choukry  Pasha,  Chief  of  the  Khe- 
divial  Turkish  Cabinet.  I  was  sixth  on  the  left  of  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali,  who  sat  opposite  the  Khedive,  on  whose 
right  sat  the  Duke,  with  Prince  Alfred  on  his  left.  On  the 
right  of  the  Duke  sat  Lord  Cromer,  and  on  the  left  of 
the  Prince,  de  Willebois.  All  were  placed  according  to 
rank,  the  Diplomatic  Agents  according  to  their  term  of 
service  in  Egypt. 

Before  the  dinner  we  all  assembled —  as  was  the  case 
at  the  dinner  given  to  the  King  of  Siam —  in  the  grand 
salon,  and  there  awaited  the  arrival  of  the  Duke  and  son. 
When  I  entered  the  room  I  found  only  His  Highness 
and  the  Persian  Minister,  so  had  a  chance  for  some  con- 
versation with  the  Khedive,  who  was  very  cordial  and 
friendly.  After  the  Duke  arrived,  he  and  his  son  walked 
around  the  circle  of  the  diplomats,  and  shook  hands  with 
each  of  them,  having  first  been  presented  by  the  Khedive 
to  his  Ministers,  all  of  whom  were  present.  When  the 
dinner  was  over,  we  gathered  together  in  the  adjoining 
room  and  had  coffee,  cognac,  and  tobacco.  Had  a  fairly 
good  time,  although  obliged  to  talk  French  all  the  time. 
Brewster  Bey  was  there.  Was  home  by  9.30. 

Saturday  —  February  26.  In  my  office  at  7.50.  Wrote 
up  this  journal  and  did  one  thing  or  another  of  no  especial 
importance  until  ten  o'clock,  when  I  took  the  victoria 
for  Shepheard's,  to  meet  Mrs.  Stevenson  to  go  with  her 
to  Sir  William  Garstin,  with  whom  we  had  an  appointment. 
With  him  we  passed  a  very  interesting  hour,  and  I  think 
we  gained  all  we  could  ask  for,  —  all  that  it  was  possible 


AMERICAN  EXPLORATION  SOCIETY     205 

to  have  at  this  time,  —  which  was  an  assurance  from  Sir 
William  that  the  grant  asked  for  would  be  given  if  his 
vote  and  those  of  Artin  Pasha  and  Sir  Elwin  Palmer  were 
sufficient.  Seven  are  in  the  Council,  and  the  fourth  vote, 
he  thought,  can  undoubtedly  be  had  from  Tigrane  Pasha, 
even  though  the  others,  which  is  not  probable,  object. 
He  told  us  a  good  deal  of  the  conditions  regulating  the 
Museum  Direction,  and  was  especially  frank  and  confiden- 
tial. Mrs.  Stevenson,  as  secretary  of  the  Exploration  So- 
ciety, was  to  write  out  the  formal  demand,  address  it  to 
the  native  Minister  of  Public  Works,  Fakhri  Pasha,  and  in 
it  state  specifically  what  monuments  at  Tanis  the  Society 
desired  and  what  it  would  transport  here  to  the  Museum 
as  compensation.  This  demand  will  be  considered  by  the 
Council  and  passed  upon.  I  have  the  French  Minister 
kindly  disposed,  as  is  evidenced  by  a  note  from  him  this 
evening  in  which  he  says  he  regrets  not  having  seen  Mrs. 
Stevenson  before  she  left,  that  he  wished  to  talk  with 
her  and  of  her  projects,  and  to  seek  some  way  to  aid  her.1 
He  added  that  he  holds  himself  at  my  "disposition,"  to 
arrive  at  the  result  she  desires. 

*»  The  afternoon,  until  five  o'clock,  was  spent  in  the  office 
waiting  for  tourists  to  come  for  their  passports  that  they 
need  by  to-morrow  before  starting  for  Jerusalem.  Mrs. 
Stevenson  left  this  afternoon,  taking  train  at  4.45  and 
passing  the  night  at  Alexandria — sailing  to-morrow  by 
the  Normania  for  Naples,  where  she  will  remain  but  two 
days  before  going  directly  home.  I  met  her  at  the  station 
and,  with  Artin  Pasha 2  and  Dr.  Rosher,  saw  her  off.  She 

1  M.  Cogordan,  before  Mrs.  Stevenson  left  Cairo  to  go  up  the  river  in  search 
of  M.  Loret,  had  promised  her  his  cooperation.  He  and  Mme.  Cogordan  called 
and  invited  her  to  one  of  their  receptions  and  were  most  friendly.  (EDITOR.) 
.    2  Yacub  Artin  Pasha,  an  Armenian  and  a  most  picturesque  figure  in  Cairene 


206  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

is  a  worker,  has  had  a  good  time,  and  has  accomplished 
all  that  could  have  been  accomplished. 

Sunday  —  February  27.  I  went  with  Louise  this  morn- 
ing to  the  Museum  and  remained  there  until  nearly  noon. 
Met  the  German  Minister,  his  mother  and  sister,  who  have 
lately  arrived  to  pass  the  rest  of  the  winter  with  him.  The 
day  has  been  heavenly  —  as  beautiful  as  our  best  of  June. 
We  drove  in  the  afternoon  and  met  all  the  world  on  the 
road,  four-in-hands  and  tandems  abounding;  in  fact,  the 
roads  were  not  only  encumbered  by  carriages,  but  camels 
and  donkeys  abounded  as  I  have  never  seen  them  before. 
We  let  our  servants  —  that  is,  the  chef  and  maitre  d' hotel 
— got  to  the  Italian  festa  at  Helouan,  as  we  intended  taking 
dinner  in  the  grill  room  of  Shepheard's;  there  we  found 
Mr.  Oothout,  and  Mrs.  Rumsey  and  two  daughters  from 
St.  Louis.  After  dinner  we  met  a  number  of  friends  in  the 
hall  of  the  hotel,  but  we  did  not  linger  long,  anticipating 
the  arrival  of  letters  from  home.  I  received,  as  usual,  quite 
a  mail.  Louise  received  a  letter  from  "The  Debutante," 
asking  for  Cairo  society  news,  of  which,  of  course,  she  will 
take  no  notice. 

Monday  —  February  28.  The  weather  now  is  almost 
summer-like.  With  no  fire  in  the  furnace,  the  office  was 
64°  this  morning  when  I  entered  it  at  7.45.  Towards  five 
o'clock  it  was  not  sultry  because  the  air  is  so  dry,  but  it 

life.  He  was  Under-Secretary  of  State  for  Public  Instruction.  He  had  made 
a  fine  collection  of  Arabic  gold  coins,  second  only  to  that  under  Mr.  Reginald 
Stewart  Poole's  charge  in  the  British  Museum.  Mrs.  Stevenson  secured  an 
option  on  it  then  for  Mr.  Robert  C.  H.  Brook,  of  Philadelphia,  who  eventu- 
ally bought  it  and  presented  it  to  the  Museum  of  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. (EDITOR.) 


GHEZIREH  PALACE  CASINO  207 

seemed  heavily  hot  all  the  evening;  the  temperature  did 
not  fall  below  67°  at  midnight. 

I  called  on  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Hay  at  Shepheard's  this 
morning  about  ten  o'clock,  to  be  sure  to  catch  them  at 
home,  and,  for  Louise,  invited  them  to  breakfast  on 
Wednesday  morning,  them  and  their  eldest  daughter. 
Mrs.  Hay  is  a  handsome  woman  of  about  fifty,  large  and 
matronly;  has  very  pleasant,  in  fact,  cordial  manners  that 
put  one  at  one's  ease  at  once.  He,  a  man  of  fifty-five  about, 
in  appearance,  with  gray  mustache  and  hair  turning.  A 
medium-sized  man,  he  looks  the  gentleman  and  one's 
impressions  immediately  are  favorable.  He  is  alive  to 
anything  humorous  and  quick  to  appreciate  and  applaud. 
He  told  a  story  of  a  consul  in  Italy  who  had  placed  a  no- 
tice on  his  door,  "In  10  to  1."  An  American  called  and 
could  not  be  admitted  —  he  then  wrote,  "It's  10  to  1 
you  are  out."  His  laugh  is  a  very  hearty  one,  and  catching. 

After  my  return  to  the  Legation,  Mr.  Van  Bergen  came 
in  and  made  quite  a  visit.  He  leaves  to-morrow  for 
Palestine.  I  received  a  very  complimentary  letter  from 
General  Draper,  Ambassador  at  Rome,  congratulating  me 
on  the  manner  in  which  I  had  been  filling  my  place  here, 
and  "gathering  golden  opinions." 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  Ghezireh  Palace  Casino  — 
Ismail's  Grand  Salle-a-Manger,  where  he  gave  his  dinners 
and  where  we  were  to  dine  on  the  invitation  of  S.  E.  Fakhri 
Pasha,  the  Minister  of  Public  Works.  The  rooms,  ex- 
quisitely and  extravagantly  decorated,  a  la  Ismail,  were 
brilliantly  lighted  and  when  we  arrived  were  almost  filled 
with  the  guests  who  were  to  sit  down  in  the  adjoining 
apartment.  The  women  were  beautifully  garbed  and  the 
men  wore  the  "spike  tail"  with  their  orders.  Eighty  had 


208  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

been  invited,  though  not  so  many  sat  down.  Lord  Cromer 
was  there.  All  the  members  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps  ex- 
cept Cogordan  were  present.  I  saw  Lady  Walker  and 
the  Countess  della  Sala,  Mrs.  Perry  and  Baroness  Malor- 
tie,  oh!  and  many  others  whom  I  refrain  from  enumerat- 
ing. Of  course  all  the  Ministers,  colleagues  of  the  host, 
were  present. 

Louise  was  taken  in  by  de  Willebois,  who  ranks  next  to 
the  Dean  of  the  Corps,  and  sat  between  him  and  Ghazi 
Mukhtar  Pasha,  Marechal  and  Imperial  Turkish  Com- 
missioner, who,  by  the  by,  had  made  me  a  long  visit  in 
the  afternoon.  The  dinner  was  more  than  good,  excellent, 
and  well  served.  The  decorations  on  the  table  were  gar- 
lands of  flowers  that  extended  from  one  end  to  the  other, 
and  smothered  amid  the  leaves,  every  six  or  eight  inches, 
were  tiny  electric  lamps,  of  various  colors,  which  gave  a 
wonderfully  beautiful  effect.  It  certainly  was  a  superb 
dinner,  excelling  the  Khedive's  in  some  respects,  though 
not  grand  and  royal  as  was  his. 

Tuesday  —  March  1.  I  have  been  run  down  with  call- 
ers all  the  morning,  among  them  Mrs.  Pulitzer,  of  New 
York,  a  beautiful  woman,  in  deep  mourning,  of  about 
thirty-five  to  thirty-eight,  who  came  with  her  son,  bring- 
ing letters  of  introduction.  Then,  with  letters,  came  Rev. 
Payton  A.  Hoge  and  Rev.  John  Livy  and  Robert  E.  Cald- 
well;  then,  with  the  two  Caldwells,  Edwin  A.  Alderman, 
President  of  the  University  of  North  Carolina:  all  of 
these  from  Wilmington.  They  sat  a  long  while,  accepting 
cigarettes  and  Turkish  coffee.  A  Mr.  Russell  from  Iowa, 
bringing  letters  from  Senators  Allison  and  Geer,  made  a 
long  visit.  He  smoked,  too. 


PRIVATE  THEATRICALS  209 

The  afternoon  was  Louise's  reception  and  the  usual 
crowd  came:  to-day,  however,  they  began  at  3.30  (Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Paton)  and  kept  it  up  until  quite  seven 
o'clock,  Mile.  Zogheb,  sister  of  the  Danish  Minister,  and 
the  first  Secretary  of  the  Italian  Legation,  being  the  last 
to  come  and  go.  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Hay  were  of  the  num- 
ber. Of  course,  the  Countess  della  Sala.  In  the  evening 
we  went  to  Mrs.  Bird's — wife  of  Captain  Bird — private 
theatricals.  They  live  in  the  other  side  of  the  palace  from 
Heidler,  a  superb  apartment.  The  grand  salon  was  used 
for  the  purpose,  about  a  third  of  it  cut  off  for  the  stage. 
The  following  was  the  programme: 

PROGRAMME 
March  1st,  1898 

LE  POST-SCRIPTUM 

Emile  Augier 

M.  de  Lancy Mr.  Mcllwraith 

Madame  de  Verliere Mrs.  Rogers 

IN  HONOUR  BOUND 

Sydney  Grundy 
From  Scribe's  "Une  Chaine" 

Sir  George  Carlyon,  Q.G.M.P Mr.  Graham 

Philip  Graham Lord  Granville 

Lady  Carlyon Mrs.  Bird 

Rose  Dalrymple Miss  Baring 

Both  pieces  were  well  acted;  but  of  course  I  enjoyed 
"In  Honour  Bound"  by  far  the  most.  Miss  Baring  was 
especially  natural  and  good;  in  fact,  all  did  well.  After  the 
play  was  a  supper — cold,  of  course,  but  of  good  things. 
The  only  drinkables  were  claret  cup  and  whiskey  (Scotch) 
and  soda.  All  the  best  world  of  Cairo  life  was  there.  No 
Americans  except  Turnure,  who,  however,  is  considered 


210 


DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 


a  permanent  resident.  We  reached  home  about  midnight. 
I  sat  with  Louise  and  my  secretary,  smoking,  about  a  half- 
hour  before  going  to  bed. 

Wednesday  —  March  2.  Spencer  Biddle  came  in  during 
the  morning.  He  had  only  just  arrived  with  his  wife  and 
is  staying  at  Ghezireh.  We  had  the  usual  number  of  visi- 
tors, mostly  tourists,  for  vise  of  passports  and  teskara, 
to  travel  through  the  Turkish  dominions.  Quite  a  num- 
ber brought  letters  of  introduction  —  not  personal — but 
from  the  Department  of  State  —  issued  on  request  of  a 
Senator  or  Member  of  Congress.  When  in  times  past  I 
first  got  one,  I  thought  I  was  highly  favored,  and  was 
somewhat  surprised  when  I  presented  it  to  the  Secretary 
in  Paris,  and  London,  at  the  diplomatic  offices  there,  to 
find  it  of  so  little  moment,  but  I  now  comprehend  why  he 
he  made  so  little  of  it;  they  are  to  be  had  by  any  one  who 
knows  a  Congressman  and  is  by  him  known.  Of  course, 
this  includes  everybody.  Judge  Tuck  brought  in  Mr.  Key- 
ser,  of  Baltimore,  brother  of  Mrs.  John  W.  Williams,  and 
made  quite  a  stay.  At  one  o'clock  we  gave  a  breakfast  to 
Colonel  Hay,  wife,  and  daughter,  and  a  most  successful 
one  it  was,  in  company  and  table.  We  sat  as  follows,  twelve 
of  us: 


Mme.  dc 
Willebois 

Mr. 
Oothout 

Mr. 
Bishop 

Mrs. 
Oothout 

Mr. 
Hay 

T.S.H. 

Louise 

Mrs. 
Hay 

Mr. 
Paton 

Miss 
Hay 

Mrs. 
Paton 

M.  dc 
Willebois 

BREAKFAST  TO  JOHN  HAY  211 

Mrs.  Hay  is  handsome  and  very  entertaining.  Lord 
and  Lady  Cromer  were  engaged,  so  we  invited  de  Willebois 
and  wife,  the  vice-doyen,  to  represent  the  Diplomatic 
Corps.  In  the  afternoon,  at  4.30,  Louise  and  I  were  driven 
out  the  usual  Ghezireh  drive  and  across  the  English  bridge 
to  the  prison,  and  back.  Mail  came  in  this  evening,  with 
late  papers,  which  I  enjoyed  until  11  P.M. 

Thursday  —  March  3.  In  the  office  at  7.50.  The  morn- 
ing was  taken  up,  as  has  been  usual  the  past  few  weeks  — 
one  visitor  after  another.  To-day  ex-Senator  Mitchell  and 
Colonel  Seltzer,  of  Pennyslvania,  friends  of  Senator  Boies 
Penrose,  were  of  the  number,  and  while  with  me,  George 
Olcott,  my  old  friend  from  New  York  (Dodge  and  Olcott), 
and  a  Mr.  Stoddard  joined  the  party.  All  smoked,  and 
together  we  had  a  very  jolly  half-hour.  Louise  and  I 
walked  out  about  five  o'clock.  In  the  evening  we  went 
to  the  opera  house  and  listened  to  "Le  Monde  ou  Ton 
s'ennuie,"  and  I  am  glad  to  say  I  enjoyed  the  play  very 
much. 

Friday  —  March  4.  To-day  was  celebrated  by  the  Ital- 
ians as  the  anniversary,  thirtieth  or  something,  of  the 
Union  of  All  Italy,  and  all  the  Agencies  threw  out  their 
flags  to  the  breeze.  I  was  at  my  desk,  as  usual,  early.  The 
American  mail  had  come  in  the  night  before,  and  I  found 
a  good  budget  in  my  office.  Watts  and  I  went  to  the  station 
to  see  off  Colonel  Hay,  wife,  and  daughters.  Andrass  pre- 
ceded us  with  flowers  for  the  three  ladies.  Mrs.  Hay  gave 
a  very  cordial  invitation  for  Louise  and  me,  should  we 
visit  London. 
L.  The  Reverend  Chauncey  Murch  came  to  talk  about 


212  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  rumored  removal  of  one  of  the  "up-river"  Consular 
Agents  and  to  protest.  He  was  very  earnest,  not  to  say 
positive,  and  rather  inclined  me  to  the  thought  that  the 
evidence  received  at  this  office  might  be  unfairly  one- 
sided. While  Mr.  Murch  was  with  me,  in  came  another 
clergyman,  a  Mr.  Strang,  of  the  same  mission,  and  he  put 
in  his  oar  —  a  good  strong  one  at  that  —  in  favor  of  the 
present  incumbent.  It  is  an  unpleasant  situation.  Should 
the  man  not  be  guilty  of  the  offenses  charged,  which,  it  is 
true,  have  been  withdrawn,  and  the  interpreters  have  mis- 
interpreted his  words  to  Mr.  Watts,  an  injustice  is  done  in 
making  the  removal,  and  he  should  hold  his  Agency. 

On  the  other  hand,  an  official  recommendation  is  made 
to  Washington  to  abolish  the  Agency,  which  removes 
him  and  degrades  him,  and  such  recommendation  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  made  seriously  and  with  a  full  knowl- 
edge of  the  case.  Now,  to  declare  to  the  Department 
that  this  office  acted  hastily  and  without  full  considera- 
tion is  not  very  creditable  to  my  administration.  At  the 
same  time,  "Justice  must  be  done  though  the  heavens 
fall,"  and  if  later  inquiries  show  the  man  innocent  and 
that  he  is  a  proper  person  to  represent  the  Government,  I 
shall  not  hesitate  to  so  report  to  Washington. 

While  these  gentlemen  were  with  me,  Mr.  Newell 
(George  Baldwin)  came  in,  and  afterwards  remained  to 
luncheon.  Noticing  that  I  had  missionaries  with  me  when 
he  came,  he  told  a  story  on  one  of  them,  who  in  delivering 
a  begging  address  said,  among  other  things,  as  the  plate 
was  passed  around  for  contributions:  "Give,  my  brother, 
give  generously,  if  you  can;  but  give  something.  Think! 
—  even  a  sixpence  may  be  the  means  of  saving  some  poor 
idolater  who  now,  in  ignorance,  bows  down  to  wood  and 


A  CHARITY  FETE  213 

stone,  in  Darkest  Africa."  A  sailor,  who  at  that  moment 
had  the  plate  handed  to  him,  put  his  hand  in  his  trousers 
pocket  and  feeling  deep  and  fumbling,  at  last  pulled  out 
a  sixpence.  This  he  regarded  a  moment,  and  then  ejacu- 
lated: "A  sixpence,  and  my  last  one.  It  will  save  a  soul 
or  buy  me  a  drink;  I  think  I  '11  vote  for  the  drink  and  let 
the  nigger  go." 

Newell  remained  until  about  three.  In  the  evening 
Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Esbekieh  Gardens  Theater  to 
attend  the  fete  charity  performance.  Louise  had  three 
boxes  and  thirty  tickets  to  sell.  The  boxes  were  a  hun- 
dred francs  each,  and  the  tickets,  twenty  at  twenty 
francs  and  ten  at  ten  francs.  Louise  will  turn  in  from 
sales  and  donations  not  less  than  eight  hundred  francs. 
The  theater,  which  really  is  an  old  box  without  a  lid, 
open  to  the  sky,  had  been  covered  in  with  the  colored 
patterned  canvas  so  common,  or  distinctly  Egyptian,  and 
the  tiers  or  boxes  had  been  beautifully  decorated  with 
flowers  and  hangings,  flags,  etc.,  which  made  the  interior 
most  attractive.  All  the  boxes  were  filled  with  well- 
dressed  women  and  the  parquet  was  equally  so  —  men, 
of  course,  being  mingled  with  them.  We  furnished  the 
chocolate  for  the  buffet  and  sent  our  chef  and  matt  re 
d9  hotel  to  serve  it;  over  two  hundred  francs  were  received 
at  the  chocolate  table.  Louise  was  one  of  the  lady  mana- 
gers or  patronesses,  and  had  part  charge  of  the  buffet; 
she  was  assisted  by  Mrs.  Watts  and  others.  The  usual 
robbery  that  is  a  consequence  at  charitable  functions, 
namely,  the  selling  of  programmes,  worth  two  cents,  for 
twenty-five  cents;  all  drinks,  twenty-five  cents;  cards  for 
caring  for  your  coat,  twenty-five  cents,  etc. ;  and  when  you 
gave  a  sovereign  or  a  dollar,  no  change  returned,  made 


214  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

money  for  the  beneficiary  and  often  a  good  deal  of  laughter. 
The  affair  was  a  high  society  one,  like  our  own  fashionable 
affairs  at  home,  and  all  the  world,  in  and  out  of  the 
creme  were  present.  The  tableaux  were  beautiful  —  much 
like  those  we  saw  at  Cinadino's;  and  the  monologue  was 
really  very  fine,  very  funny,  and  much  applauded.  Louise 
turned  in  one  hundred  francs  more  than  required,  having 
sold  her  boxes  and  tickets  and  received  a  donation  from 
Mrs.  John  Hay  of  one  hundred  francs. 

Saturday  —  March  5.  I  received  a  cablegram  this  morn- 
ing from  Mr.  Sherman,  appointing  me  a  member  of  the 
Commission  to  consider  changes  in  the  original  Act  of 
the  Mixed  Tribunals  and  naming  Judge  Keeley,  of  Alex- 
andria, my  alternate  or  assistant. 

The  morning  was  rather  quiet,  excepting  Dr.  Gillette, 
of  New  York,  and  Mr.  McCurdy,  who  both  called  in  the 
interest  of  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company,  and  a  half- 
dozen  others  who  came  to  have  their  passports  viseed;  it 
was  without  excitement! 

I  returned  Gillette's  and  Wendig's  call  personally  in  the 
afternoon.  They  had  the  best  suite  of  rooms  at  Shepheard's. 
Met  Louise  and  sat  and  took  tea  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ooth- 
out.  Of  course,  joined  a  lot  of  people,  among  them  Mrs. 
Pulitzer,  Miss  Winnie  Davis,  Mrs.  Mason  Bey,  Miss  Lewis, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell.  In  the  evening  I  went  to  the 
dinner  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers  at  Abbassieh.  Colonel 
St.  George,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  was  invited; 
but  at  the  last  moment  was  prevented  from  going.  They 
say  he  is  a  jolly  dinner  man,  and  I  regret  not  meeting  him 
again. 

The  regimental  (string)  band  played  during  the  meal 


DINNER  OF  THE  LANCERS  215 

"choice  selections,"  and  it  was  not  until  the  band  had 
ceased  to  play  that  the  fun  began  after  the  dinner  had 
been  eaten. 

During  the  meal  there  was  passed,  as  a  loving-cup,  a 
huge  silver  bowl,  the  trophy  just  won  by  the  regiment  in 
a  rifle  contest,  finished  yesterday.  The  bowl  was  nearly 
full  of  champagne,  and  was  passed  from  hand  to  hand, 
along  the  length  of  both  sides  of  the  table,  and  each  man 
drank  deep.  The  last  man  had  to  finish  the  contents,  and 
more  than  half  a  bottle  was  his  share,  the  evidence  of 
which  was  plainly  visible  as  the  evening  advanced.  He 
sang  and  danced  and  went  through  lots  of  "horse-play," 
which  I  must  confess  was  very  amusing. 

I  sat  on  the  Colonel's  right  (Colonel  Martin)  with  Crole 
Wyndham,  the  Major  of  the  Regiment,  who  presided 
when  I  dined  with  the  officers  on  January  1  last,  on  my 
right.  There  were  no  speeches,  songs,  or  other  proceedings 
at  the  table;  but  when  the  band  had  gone,  we  assembled 
about  a  piano  which  was  in  the  room,  and  sang,  —  mostly 
every  one  on  his  own  account,  —  "  'Way  down  upon  the 
Suwanee  River,"  "  My  Old  Virginny  Home,"  first,  and  then 
a  lot  of  English  hunting  songs,  none  of  which  were  good 
except  the  "Hunting  Morning."  That  was  sung  by  Mr. 
Farquhar,  who  was  a  guest,  and  who  married  an  American 
girl,  a  Miss  Churchill,  a  niece  of  George  Heyl.  I  was  in- 
duced to  sing  "Old  Shady,"  and  afterwards,  just  before 
quitting,  to  tell  the  Bank's  story.  The  band,  before  it 
left,  gave  us  "The  Star-Spangled  Banner,"  and  "Yankee 
Doodle."  To  the  latter  all  the  officers  sang  and  apparently 
knew  a  lot  of  words.  Before  leaving,  which  I  did  at  mid- 
night, we  assembled  in  the  Mess-Room  and  all  hands 
having  been  provided  with  whiskey-and-soda,  the  Colonel 


216  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

called  for  three  cheers  and  a  tiger,  with  my  health.  I  gave, 
"The  Officers  and  Men  of  the  Gallant  Twenty-first,  every 
mother's  son  of  'em,"  which  was  received  with  cheers. 
Then  some  one  gave,  "The  United  States,"  and  I  returned, 
"Old  England,  that  you  love  so  well,  and  our  mother 
country."  So  it  kept  up  for  about  ten  minutes,  toasting 
and  cheering  until  we  were  all  hoarse.  I  was  escorted  to  my 
carriage,  much  to  Fero's  and  Andrass's  amusement,  by 
the  whole  dinner  party,  who  had  made  horns  of  newspapers 
and  who  tooted  through  them  some  air  of  jolly  farewell. 

Altogether,  the  dinner  was  a  great  success  and  I  was 
highly  complimented  by  the  hearty  welcome  that  was 
given  me.  The  Colonel,  cheered  by  his  officers,  invited  me 
to  be  the  guest  of  the  regiment  in  the  Soudan  on  the  ad- 
vance to  Khartum,  promising  to  keep  me  in  good  quar- 
ters, with  a  chance  to  see  as  much  of  the  fun  as  any  of 
them.  Even  though  I  might  wish  to  accept,  I  have  a  liv- 
ing Argument,  at  home,  that  would  oppose  any  such 
adventure. 

I  was  driven  back  behind  the  mares  from  the  barracks 
to  the  Agency  in  eighteen  minutes  —  the  distance  is  over 
four  miles.  It  was  a  great  performance  to  a  brougham 
with  Jack  and  Andrass  on  the  box  and  over  two  hundred 
pounds  inside ! ! 

Sunday — March  6.  About  12.15  Louise  and  I,  on  leav- 
ing church,  took  a  drive  around  Ghezireh  Island,  getting 
back  in  time  for  luncheon.  In  the  afternoon  we  went  to 
the  Zoological  Gardens  and  took  tea  on  the  little  island 
near  the  bandstand.  There  we  met  Watts  and  wife, 
Ministers  Zogheb  and  Maskins,  with  their  wives,  and 
Mme.  Gogordan.  The  wind  was  very  high  driving  back. 


DINNER  AT  RIAZ  PASHA'S  217 

Dined  alone  and  read  United  States  mail  and  Paris  "New 
York  Herald"  all  the  evening. 

Monday  —  March  7.  Some  very  pleasant  visitors  came 
during  the  morning,  among  whom  were  Thomas  Paton  and 
Mr.  Bishop,  who  asked  for  news.  A  dispatch  had  been 
posted  that  Spain  had  demanded  the  recall  of  Consul- 
General  Lee  from  Cuba,  and  that  the  United  States  had 
refused  very  properly  to  consider  the  demand.  We  all 
thought  the  situation  critical  and  wished  we  were  where 
we  could  get  a  fuller  account.  For  myself,  I  would  like  to 
be  at  home.  I  am  beginning  to  doubt,  if  war  should  break 
out,  whether  the  Government  would  care  to  give  me  a  long 
leave  and  also  as  to  the  propriety  of  asking  for  it. 

Wrote  a  number  of  letters.  In  the  afternoon  nothing 
of  any  moment  to  note  excepting  that  Mr.  Cyrus  I.  Detre, 
of  Philadelphia,  brought  a  letter  of  introduction  from 
Colonel  John  W.  Frazier;  and  two  ladies,  a  Mrs.  Sanborn 
from  Boston,  and  a  Miss  Conwell,  daughter  of  the  Rev- 
erend Mr.  Conwell,  called.  They  made  a  stay  of  almost 
an  hour. 

Louise  went  visiting  at  4.45,  and  I  started  out  for  a 
long  walk  about  5.30.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  Riaz 
Pasha  dinner.  It  would  seem,  almost,  that  each  dinner 
we  go  to,  on  an  invitation  from  one  of  the  great  Pashas, 
excels  the  preceding  in  some  way.  This  was  truly  princely 
in  every  respect. 

The  waiters  were  all  Arabs  —  two  served  the  wines, 
one  for  one  side  of  the  table  and  one  for  the  other.  The 
soup  was  excellent,  though  not  hot.  I  did  not  partake 
of  many  of  the  dishes,  but  those  of  which  I  did,  I  did  not 
find  to  be  any  better,  if  so  good,  as  the  production  of  our 


218  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

own  chef.  The  pilaf  was  curious:  rice,  with  some  gravy 
or  sauce  mixed  with  it,  and  on  a  separate  dish,  sour  and 
cold  cream,  that  was  a  stiff  paste,  was  served.  The  taste 
was  good  as  something  out  of  the  common.  Mme.  Bey- 
erle,  whom  I  took  in  to  dinner,  is  the  wife  of  a  very  rich 
French  banker,  located  in  Cairo;  a  woman  of  about 
forty-five  to  fifty,  very  handsome.  She  spoke  only 
French  with  me.  On  my  left  was  the  Countess  de  Land- 
berg;  and  as  she  understood  English,  I  gladly  turned  to 
her  when  I  tired  of  the  other  language.  Unfortunately 
for  us  both,  my  hearing  not  being  very  acute  and  Mme. 
B eyerie  speaking  in  a  very  low  tone,  we  talked  of  only 
commonplace  subjects  and  even  those  not  enough  of 
interest  to  have  made  me  long  for  a  continuance  of  the 
dinner  had  I  not  had  some  relief  on  the  other  side. 

The  approach  to  the  palace  was  by  a  drive  through  a 
garden  and  then  into  a  large  open  space  or  court.  Both, 
on  which  the  palace  faced,  were  brilliantly  illuminated. 
Numbers  of  servants  awaited  the  arrival  of  our  carriage 
to  show  us  into  the  dressing-  and  reception-rooms. 

Riaz  Pasha  was  on  two  occasions,  I  think,  Prime 
Minister,  and  before  that  was  one  of  the  Ministers  of 
Ismail,  the  extravagant  and  dethroned  Khedive.  A 
very  interesting  description  of  Riaz  may  be  found  in 
Lord  Milner's  "England  in  Egypt."  He  is,  in  his  own 
house,  a  delightful  man  —  dried-up,  insignificant,  physi- 
cally, but  a  bright  and  undoubtedly  able  man,  mentally.1 

1  Riaz  Pasha  had  been  Minister  of  the  Interior  under  Chereef ,  but  had  re- 
signed because  he  was  not  allowed  to  hang  Arabi.  He  hated  the  French.  He 
was  a  Mohammedan,  a  rival  of  Nubar  Pasha,  who  was  a  Christian  Armenian. 
He  was  a  "Turk  of  the  Turks"  by  character,  education,  and  sympathy  —  a 
pure  Oriental  —  and  accordingly  a  conservative.  Indeed  he  was  mediaeval,  but 
a  master  of  detail  if  little  troubled  by  any  humanitarian  sentiment.  In  two 
years  he  had  quarreled  with  every  one  of  eminence,  including  Sir  Evelyn 
Baring  —  Lord  Cromer.  (EDITOR.) 


Riaz  Pasha 
Former  Prime  Minister  and  at  one  lime  in  the  Cabinet 


DINNER  AT  RIAZ  PASHA'S  219 

We  mounted  two  flights  of  stairs  and,  after  passing 
through  several  rooms,  were  shown  into  the  grand  salon, 
where  Riaz  and  his  eldest  son  welcomed  us.  We  found 
most  of  the  company  assembled.  Lord  and  Lady  Cromer 
were  not  there,  but,  representing  the  English,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rennell  Rodd.  I  think  thirty-two  or  thirty-four 
were  at  the  table,  which  was  spread  in  a  banqueting- 
room  at  least  sixty  feet  long  and  thirty  feet  wide,  and 
which  itself  wTas  not  less  than  forty  feet  long.  ; 

Down  nearly  its  whole  length  was  a  garniture  of  silver 
with  a  mirror  bottom,  on  which  were  the  candelabra, 
with  twelve  or  fifteen  branches,  also  of  solid  silver.  The 
garniture  was  not  less  than  thirty-two  to  thirty-five 
feet  long;  its  sides,  as  I  have  said,  were  of  solid  silver, 
beautifully  worked,  and  representing  Cupids  and  fauns 
in  vineyards,  with  garlands  and  grapes,  in  the  conven- 
tional style.  These  sides  were  about  three  inches  high. 
Between  the  candelabra  were  large  silver  bowls,  hold- 
ing masses  of  flowers,  and  at  the  bases  of  these  were  gar- 
lands of  roses  and  other  flowers.  The  china  was  white 
and  gold,  and  the  glass  English  very  small  diamond-cut. 
The  wines  were  good,  especially  the  claret,  which  was 
Mouton  Rothschild.  Louise  and  I  agreed  that  the  din- 
ner, although  not  as  effective  as  that  of  Fakhri  Pasha, 
was  richer  and  much  more  elegant.  Louise  was  taken 
in  by  the  Persian  Minister,  Faradjalla  Khan,  and  was 
on  the  right  of  a  Pasha,  the  eldest  son  of  Riaz,  who  sat 
opposite  to  his  father. 

Dinner  over,  the  men  smoked;  and,  after  joining  the 
ladies,  lemonade  and  tea  were  passed.  We  left  about 
10.45.  Louise  wore  her  Paquin  gown  and  looked  lovely. 
It  is  very  becoming  to  her. 


220  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Tom  Paton  told  a  good  story  to-day.  A  party  of  us 
were  together  in  my  office  talking  of  Spain's  demand  on 
the  United  States,  to  recall  Gonsul-General  Lee,  when 
Paton  said: 

"I  guess  McKinley  has  replied,  'I  don't  think  it  fittin' 
for  to  lower';  and  that  reminds  me  of  a  story  of  a  Yankee 
whaler  whose  captain  and  crew  had  been  out  some  time, 
without  any  luck,  on  the  seas,  for  sperm  whales,  and  were 
about  setting  sail  for  other  parts,  when  the  lookout  called 
out,  'Whale,  oh!' 

"The  first  mate,  who  had  the  watch,  cried,  *  Where 
away?'  'Off  the  port  bow,'  was  the  answer. 

"The  mate  went  aft  to  the  captain,  who  was  leaning 
over  the  rail,  and  touching  his  hat  reported:  'She's  a 
blower,  shall  I  lower?' 

"Now,  the  captain  was  in  a  bad  humor.  His  ship  had 
been  out  from  New  Bedford  for  some  months  without  a 
*  strike'  and  the  expense  had  been  going  on  all  the  time. 
For  the  past  week  or  more  he  had  been  'drowning  his 
sorrows,'  much  to  the  discomfort  of  his  digestion  and 
general  health.  So,  without  looking  up,  he  replied,  'I 
don't  think  it  fittin'  for  to  lower.' 

"The  mate  left  him  and  went  forward.  Again  the  look- 
out hailed,  and  again  the  mate,  saluting,  reported,  'She's 
a  blower,  shall  I  lower?' 

"The  captain  said,  'I  don't  think  it  fittin'  for  to  lower.' 

"The  mate  touched  his  hat  and  retreated.  The  look- 
out in  louder  tones,  again  cries,  'She's  a  blower;  she's 
a  blower,'  and  the  mate,  with  more  force  in  his  voice,  re- 
ported, touching  his  hat,  or  pulling  his  forelock,  'Cap- 
tain, she's  a  spermer  and  a  blower —  shall  I  lower?' 
k  "The  captain  looked  up,  saw  the  frowning  crew  almost 


A  GOOD  STORY  221 

at  the  point  of  mutiny,  so  he  growled  out,  'Lower,  and 
be  damned  to  you.' 

"Down  went  the  boats,  and  away.  They  came  back 
towing  a  hundred-barrel  fellow.  After  he  had  been  cut 
up  and  the  blubber  stored  and  all  that  was  good  of  him 
secured,  the  captain,  now  in  high  good  humor,  called  the 
mate  aft  and  said:  'Mr.  Brown,  you've  done  well,  and 
so  has  the  crew.  There's  grub  in  the  storeroom  and  rum 
in  the  locker.  Help  yourself  freely  and  serve  'em  out 
fully.' 

"The  mate  drew  himself  up  to  his  full  height  and  said: 
'Neither  me  nor  the  crew  want  any  of  your  grub,  nor 
more  your  rum,  but  what  we  do  want  and  is  goin'  to 
have  is  Seewility,  and  that  of  the  Dog-gonedest-com- 
monest  kind!' ' 

Tuesday  —  March  8.  Louise  wonderfully  well,  consid- 
ering the  dinner  last  night  and  the  mixtures  she  says 
she  was  compelled  to  eat.  The  morning  was  very  quiet. 
I  took  my  first  walk  before  my  "little  breakfast,"  going 
as  far  as  the  Kasr-el-Nil  Bridge.  The  morning  was  a 
beautiful  one,  just  enough  freshness  in  the  air  to  make 
walking  pleasant;  and  the  streets,  as  I  approached  the 
bridge,  were  alive  with  natives,  with  mules  and  camels 
bringing  produce  into  the  city,  clover  just  cut  and  fresh 
vegetables,  principally. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  had  her  "day"  and  the  rooms 
were  filled,  as  usual,  though  there  seemed  to  be  fewer 
Americans  than  formerly.  Among  them  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Keyser,  from  Baltimore;  the  three  clergymen  who 
called  from  North  Carolina  some  days  ago;  Spencer 
Biddle;  Mrs.  Crookshank,  just  back  from  her  thirty-one 


222  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

days  of  "up-river"  trip;  the  Bishops  and  the  Olcotts.  The 
last  of  the  callers,  Mme.  Maskins,  wife  of  the  Belgian 
Minister,  and  daughter,  did  not  leave  until  6.50.  We 
had  refused  the  ball  at  the  Ghezireh  Palace,  so  had  a 
charming  evening  at  home. 

Wednesday  —  March  9.  This  has  been  quite  the  most 
quiet  morning  I  have  had  for  a  long  while.  No  one  called, 
except  two  Americans,  one  a  woman  and  the  other  an 
old  man,  in  distress.  Of  course  I  had  to  listen  some  time 
to  their  sorrows  and  could  only  get  rid  of  them  by  giving 
five  dollars  to  the  first  and  two  dollars  and  a  half  to  the 
latter,  all  they  modestly  asked.  Louise  awoke  "with- 
out a  head,"  strange  to  say,  and  unnatural  as  that  may 
seem,  we  were  both  delighted  ! !  Received  a  charming 
and  characteristic  letter  from  Captain  Goodrich,1  which 
I  have  filed  to  have  read  and  be  enjoyed  by  others.  I 
immediately  wrote  him  in  reply. 

In  the  afternoon  I  took  the  victoria  and  made  visits 
to  Riaz  Pasha,  where  I  only  left  cards,  and  to  Colonel 
Martin  and  Officers'  Mess  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers, 
at  Abbassieh,  where  I  got  in  and  made  a  stop  of  about 
fifteen  minutes.  In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to 
dinner  at  the  Watts' s  and  met  there  Crookshank  Pasha 
and  wife,  General  and  Mrs.  Muir,  Dr.  Grossman,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bacon.  The  dinner  was  excellent.  I  sat  be- 
tween Mrs.  Watts  and  Mrs.  Crookshank,  and  was  well 
placed.  Really  both  Louise  and  I  confessed  it  was  one 
of  the  pleasantest  evenings  we  had  had.  Did  not  reach 
home  until  eleven.  I  started  from  the  house  in  the  morn- 

1  Later  Rear- Admiral  Goodrich,  who  in  1916  married  Miss  Hays,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Mr.  I.  Minis  Hays,  of  Philadelphia.  (EDITOR.) 


MORNING  MARKETS  223 

ing  at  7.45  and  walked  across  the  Nile  and  back.  I  pro- 
pose each  day  to  increase  the  walk  a  little.  The  distance 
this  morning  was,  there  and  back,  about  two  miles. 

Thursday  —  March  10.  Out  of  the  house  at  7.45  and 
walked  the  same  walk  as  yesterday,  only  went  a  short 
distance  farther.  The  morning  was  cloudy  and  the  air 
a  good  deal  like  that  of  one  of  our  March  days,  full  of 
penetrating  chilliness.  However,  I  walked  briskly  and 
enjoyed  the  exercise,  returning  to  the  house  in  a  glow 
and  ready  for  my  breakfast  at  about  8.30.  Only  two 
visitors  during  the  morning  and  they  did  not  remain  long. 

In  the  afternoon  I  started  out  for  a  walk,  but  having 
forgotten  my  eyeglasses,  I  did  not  enjoy  it  as  I  might. 
Met  Wilson  Pasha  and  had  an  interesting  talk  with  him. 
In  the  evening,  having  declined  the  ball  at  Ghezireh, 
Louise  and  I  sat  and  read,  as  she  has  said,  "And  very- 
glad  to  do  it."  It  was  so  chilly  that  we  started  the  heater. 

Friday  —  March  11.  Made  an  early  start  this  morning. 
Awake  before  daybreak;  could  not  sleep  very  soundly. 
At  last,  at  6.35,  I  arose  and  was  out  of  the  house  for  my 
morning's  walk  before  7.15.  This  time  I  started  for  the 
markets,  wishing  to  see  them  at  an  early  hour,  and  was 
not  disappointed  in  the  quantity  and  quality  of  meats  and 
vegetables  exposed.  New  peas  abounded,  but  they  had 
been  plucked  too  late  and  were  old,  with  but  few  excep- 
tions. Plenty  of  tomatoes,  artichauts,  lettuce,  celery  for 
cooking,  and  other  good  things.  There  were  good  stalls 
of  fresh  fish  and  game.  I  thought  the  beef  and  mutton 
looked  fat  and  tempting  had  one  an  appetite  at  that  hour 
in  the  morning. 


224  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Being  mail  day,  both  Watts  and  I  were  very  busy  with 
dispatches  and  letters  to  the  Department,  partly  mak- 
ing replies  to  circulars  —  to-day,  on  soap  and  pharma- 
ceutical preparations. 

Louise  and  I  —  or  I  surely  —  are  about  to  resume 
our  donkey  rides,  throwing  dignity  to  the  winds  ! ! 

I  took  a  drive  around  Ghezireh  and  stopped  in  at  the 
Sporting  Club  for  a  half-hour,  with  Louise,  and  walked 
over  to  the  tennis  courts,  where  we  watched  the  games. 
Being  invited  to  Countess  Landberg's  for  this  evening, 
we  declined  a  dinner  and  took  our  meal  at  home.  At  the 
Countess  Landberg's  we  played  whist  and  talked  until 
11.30. 

Saturday  —  March  12.  Out  of  the  house  at  7.50  and 
walked  only  to  and  on  the  bridge.  High  wind  blowing 
and  dust  flying,  so  the  walk  was  not  very  agreeable.  Met 
Baron  Heidler,  he  on  a  bicycle. 

Again  a  quiet  morning,  only  four  ladies  and  a  couple 
of  gentlemen  to  have  their  passports  viseed.  Refused 
two  invitations  to  dinner  for  Tuesday  next,  being  Louise's 
reception  day  in  the  afternoon,  and  ball  of  the  Twenty- 
first  Lancers  in  the  evening  at  Ghezireh  Casino.  One 
of  them  was  from  Baron  von  Miiller,  the  German  Minis- 
ter, given  in  honor  of  his  sister,  who  has  lately  come  to 
spend  the  winter  with  him;  and  the  other  from  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Williamson  Wallace.  Also  another  invitation  from 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thubron,  to  dine  on  the  Mayflower,  and 
dance  afterwards.  Accepted  an  invitation  to  dine  on 
Thursday,  24th,  from  the  Prime  Minister,  Mustapha 
Pasha  Fehmy.  It  will  be  given  at  Ghezireh,  and  in  the 
same  salle-a-manger  that  was  used  by  Ismail,  and  that 


GHAZI  MUKHTAR  PASHA  225 

I  have  already  described  for  the  dinner  of  Fakhri  Pasha. 
In  the  afternoon  I  went  with  Louise  to  Abbassieh.  She 
to  make  a  visit  to  the  Princess  Fuad,  and  I,  for  the  drive. 
She  met  there  the  Baroness  Malortie,  and  must  have 
enjoyed  her  visit,  for  she  kept  me  walking  about,  out- 
side the  palace  walls,  for  over  three  quarters  of  an  hour ! ! 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  dinner  of  Ghazi  Mukhtar 
Pasha,  the  High  Commissioner  of  the  Sultan,  who,  as 
already  mentioned  above,  was  sent  here  in  1885  to  ne- 
gotiate a  treaty  with  the  English  for  their  withdrawal 
from  Egypt.  The  treaty  was  made,  but  not  accepted  by 
the  Porte,  within  a  reasonable  time,  though  it  was  signed 
by  Queen  Victoria.  Consequently,  it  was  withdrawn  by 
that  sovereign. 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  Sultan  still  keeps  Mukhtar 
Pasha  here  as  a  protest,  I  suppose,  and  as  an  agent  ready 
to  renew  negotiations.  He  lives  in  the  finest  palace  in 
Cairo,  not  so  large  as  Abdin,  it  is  true,  but  still  regal  in 
size  and  magnificence.  It  is  situated  in  an  enclosure  of 
at  least  four  acres,  laid  out  as  a  garden  and  enclosed  with 
a  fifteen-foot  high  wall. 

One  drives,  through  an  archway  that  can  be  closed  by 
heavy  oak  gates,  into  a  large  court,  then  through  an- 
other arch  and  into  a  garden  on  which  the  palace  fronts. 
These  passages,  court,  and  gardens  were  brilliantly  il- 
lumined and  held  a  number  of  retainers,  who  saluted 
as  we  passed.  A  double  flight  of  marble  steps  led  to  the 
palier,  or  landing,  where  a  half-dozen  or  more  chamber- 
lains and  servants  were  waiting.  After  getting  rid  of  coats 
and  hats,  the  guests  were  passed  through  a  number  of 
beautifully  furnished  rooms,  with  lofty  ceilings,  to  the 
Salon  de  Reception,  where  Mukhtar  and  his  son  received. 


226  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

No  guests  were  present,  outside  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps, 
except  the  Chief  Commissioners  of  the  Debt  —  de  Mohl, 
de  Heulske,  Murano,  and  Money,  and  General  Grenfell 
and  Colonel  Cooper.  Twenty-one  in  all  sat  down  to  din- 
ner. The  table  was  long  and  Mukhtar  sat  in  the  center 
of  one  side,  and  opposite  to  him,  Lord  Cromer.  On  the 
right  of  the  host  sat  de  Willebois,  and  on  the  right  of 
Cromer,  Koyander.  I  sat  between  de  Rojas,  the  Spanish 
Minister  (!),  on  my  right,  and  on  my  left,  Murano,  neither 
of  whom  spoke  a  word  of  English. 

The  furnishings  of  the  table  were  truly  magnificent. 
The  table  was  lighted  by  an  electric-light  chandelier  and 
three  immense  candelabra  formed  like  palm  trees,  with 
wide-spreading  branches,  which  held  the  candles,  and 
around  their  bases  were  miniature  Arabs,  camels,  and 
donkeys,  all  these  of  silver.  Between  them  bowls  of 
flowers  and  silver  epergnes,  holding  bonbons,  etc.  The 
glass  and  china  were  all  of  English  make  —  the  glass  of 
good  form  and  beautifully  cut,  and  the  china  handsomely 
painted.  Six  servants,  guided  by  a  European  maitre 
d* hotel,  served  the  dinner,  which  seemed  to  go  through 
without  a  fault.  The  wines  were  good,  though  the  cham- 
pagne was  not  cold.  I  had  no  appetite  or  thirst  for  alco- 
holic beverages,  so  was,  as  usual,  very  moderate.  Rib- 
bons and  orders  were  the  rule.  I  wore  about  my  neck 
that  of  the  Loyal  Legion,  and  on  my  breast  the  Grand 
Army  badge.  Those  that  had  been  decorated  with  Turk- 
ish orders  wore  them  only;  those  who  had  not,  wore  all 
the  orders  that  they  had.  Of  course  it  was  not  permis- 
sible that  I  wear  that  of  the  Imperial  Order  of  the  Med- 
jidieh,  which  decoration  I  had  received  from  the  Khe- 
dive in  1896.  Those  that  were  worn  by  Mukhtar  were 


DINNER  OF  MUKHTAR  PASHA          227 

superb;  diamonds  and  emeralds  as  large  as  good-sized 
marbles  abounded.  The  dinner  was  good,  but  having 
no  appetite,  I  cannot  say  I  enjoyed  it,  and  sitting  as  I 
did,  I  had  a  stupid  time. 

After  the  dinner  we  were  led  to  the  smoking-room  and 
there  had  cigarettes,  coffee,  and  cigars,  with  fine  cham- 
pagne and  liqueurs,  and  there  we  remained  only  until 
ten  o'clock,  when  the  party  broke  up.  Louise  went  to  a 
dinner  given  by  Countess  della  Sala  to  which  only  the 
wives  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps  were  invited,  as  to  a  "tea- 
gown  dinner,"  which  was  a  fraud,  so  far  as  the  wearing 
of  tea  gowns  was  concerned,  Louise  and  one  other  being 
the  only  ones  to  wear  them.  The  others  mostly  wore  the 
usual  afternoon  high-neck  gowns. 

When  the  Mukhtar  dinner  was  over,  I  went  in  to  della 
Sala's  for  Louise,  and  before  the  evening  was  over  all 
the  husbands  of  the  ladies,  and  who  had  been  at  the 
Mukhtar  dinner,  assembled  at  della  Sala's,  where  we 
all  remained  very  pleasantly  until  after  half-past  eleven 
o'clock. 

Sunday  —  March  13.  Took  my  early  morning  walk  as 
usual,  this  time  only  to  and  on  the  bridge.  The  day  was 
far  from  pleasant,  a  khamseen  wind  blowing  the  dust  in 
clouds.  So  disagreeable  was  it  that  after  my  return  from 
my  walk,  neither  Louise  nor  I  went  out  all  day.  Mrs. 
Blodgett  lunched  with  us.  She  came  at  12.30  and  re- 
mained until  three  o'clock.  We  really  enjoyed  her  visit. 
In  the  evening  I  read  a  French  novel  —  one,  the  pub- 
lication of  which  should  not  have  been  permitted. 

Monday  —  March  14.    Out  about  eight  o'clock  and 


228 


DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 


walked  until  8.40.  Did  not  take  my  "little  breakfast" 
until  9.15;  busy  reading  mail  that  arrived  late  last  night. 
Mr.  Clark,  of  Providence,  and  Mr.  Ayer,  of  Chicago, 
came  in  during  the  morning.  The  former,  with  his  fam- 
ily, is  stopping  at  Pension  Ades,  kept  by  a  Miss  Frizell, 
opposite  the  Pension  Victoria,  and  said  to  be  very  good. 
It  had  been  highly  recommended  to  him  and  he  was  not 
in  the  least  disappointed.  He  said  that  the  rooms  were 
large  and  sunny  and  that  the  table  was  excellent.  At  1 
o'clock  we  had  a  dejeuner  for  a  dozen  or  so,  and  for  the 
first  time,  we  used  our  round  top  on  table.  It  was  beau- 
tifully decorated  with  flowers,  that  looked  like  scarlet 
poppies,  interspersed  with  green  and  little  yellow  ball 
flowers,  like  bachelor's-buttons.  The  arrangement  of  the 
table,  and  the  company,  was  as  follows: 

My  Secretary 

Mrs.  ^       ~r\~  ***\Mrs. Wilson 

Crookshank 


TS.H. 


MraMuir 


Miss  Tuck 


Crookshank 
Pasha 


Louise- 


GcnlMuir 


Mrs.  Tuck 


Mr.  Wilson 

Louise,  who  drove  with  the  Countess  della  Sala  in  the 
afternoon,  made  a  visit  to  the  harem  of  Ghazi  Mukhtar 


BALL  AT  THE  GHEZIREH  CASINO       229 

Pasha,  where  they  saw  his  wife  and  daughters,  and~was 
greatly  pleased,  finding  them  entirely  comme-il-faut.  I 
was  driven  alone  as  far  as  the  prison.  Louise  and  I  dined 
alone. 

Tuesday  —  March  15.  Went  to  Shepheard's  at  7.45 
and  afterwards  took  a  walk  of  about  a  mile  farther  and 
was  back  to  my  "little  breakfast"  before  nine.  Charley 
Bohlen  and  a  Mr.  Morgan  made  me  a  visit;  also  Mr. 
Ayer.  Americans  are  clearing  out  of  Egypt  now  rapidly. 
Had  a  quiet  morning.  In  the  afternoon,  being  Louise's 
day,  thirty  or  forty  people  came,  about  half  of  them  from 
the  United  States.  It  was  nearly  seven  before  the  last 
of  the  visitors  had  gone. 

In  the  evening,  at  10.45,  Louise  and  I  went  to  the 
great  ball  given  by  Colonel  Martin  and  the  officers  of 
the  Twenty-first  Lancers.  It  was  a  superb  affair  at  the 
Ghezireh  Casino.  The  garden  was  brilliantly  lighted  and 
tastefully  decorated  with  colored  lamps  along  the  walks, 
close  to  the  ground  and  amid  the  branches  of  the  trees. 
Around  the  stone  coping  of  the  lake  were  lights  of  differ- 
ent colors;  on  its  bosom  were  gondolas,  illumined  and 
manned  by  gayly  dressed  boatmen.  The  scene  was  a 
fairy  spectacle.  The  rooms  were  hung  with  the  regi- 
mental colors.  Lances  and  crossed  swords,  flags  and  war 
trophies,  tastefully  arranged,  were  a  part  of  the  decora- 
tions. Flowers  and  growing  plants,  amid  which  were  beau- 
tifully dressed  women  and  red-coated  and  uniformed  men, 
added  to  the  picture.  Unfortunately,  the  night  was  too 
cold  for  a  full  enjoyment  of  the  apartments  and  obliged 
the  more  prudent  to  crowd  into  the  salles-de-danse,  of 
•which  there  were  two.  The  regimental  band  furnished 


230  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  music.  The  officers  were  very  polite  to  us,  Colonel 
Martin,  Major  Wyndham,  and  Captain  Montgomery  be- 
ing especially  so.  General  Sir  Francis  Grenfell  sat  with 
Louise  a  half-hour.  I  talked  with  Lady  Grenfell,  Mrs. 
Dawkins,  Mrs.  Rodd,  Countess  Landberg,  Mrs.  Butcher, 
wife  of  Dean  Butcher,  and  others.  We  left  at  12.15, 
immediately  before  the  supper  was  served,  notwithstand- 
ing the  protest  of  Colonel  Martin. 

Wednesday  —  March  16.  Out  for  my  walk  at  8.05,  and 
went  only  to  the  bridge.  Received  quite  a  mail,  princi- 
pally dispatches  from  Washington.  Spencer  Biddle  came 
in  during  the  morning,  and  Miss  Harriet  Procter  and 
Miss  Houghton  brought  letters  of  introduction  from  Mr. 
Stille.  I  had  a  visit,  too,  from  a  gentleman  and  three 
ladies,  who  did  not  leave  cards,  and  whose  names  I  do 
not  recall.  These  took  up  my  morning.  In  the  afternoon, 
after  I  had  read  the  Paris  "Herald,"  I  drove  out  as  far 
as  the  Zoological  Gardens.  Louise,  my  secretary,  and  I 
dined  at  home.  We  had  some  amusement  (?)  over  the 
doings  of  the  chef,  who  is  the  most  impudent  thief  of 
any  of  my  experience.  Though  we  have  been  dining  out, 
and  have  given  no  entertainments  of  any  moment  in  the 
past  fortnight,  the  beggar  has  run  the  cost  of  keeping  the 
table  to  about  thirty-five  dollars  per  day.  Details  of  his 
account,  as  an  example  of  them  all,  show  he  claims  to 
have  used  forty  to  forty-three  litres  of  milk  a  day ! !  On 
some  days,  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  one  hundred  and 
sixty  pounds  of  various  meats,  etc.  My  secretary,  aided 
by  Hannah,  the  housekeeper,  brought  him  up  with  a 
round  turn,  and  though  I  know  he  still  will  steal,  he  will, 
I  hope,  be  kept  within  bounds.  To  discharge  him  would 


A  THIEVING  CHEF  231 

only  be  swapping  one  thief  for  another  and  would  be 
running  the  risk  of  not  getting  so  good  a  cook. 

Thursday  —  March  17.  Made  an  early  start  this  morn- 
ing; was  out  of  the  house  before  7.30  and  walked  almost  to 
Ghezireh  Palace.  It  took  about  an  hour.  Had  a  long  in- 
terview in  the  forenoon  with  Reverend  Chauncey  Murch, 
treasurer  of  the  Missions  in  Egypt,  relative  to  the  Con- 
sular Agents  at  Luxor  and  Zoghab,  and  another  in  the 
afternoon.  I  decided  to  recommend  the  retention  of  both. 
About  eleven  o'clock  I  started  out  to  call  on  Miss  Proc- 
ter and  Miss  Houghton  at  Shepheard's,  having  made  a 
mistake  yesterday  in  visiting  them  at  the  Continental, 
from  which  my  cards  were  returned.  They  were  out,  as 
also  were  Mr.  and  -Mrs.  Newell  and  the  Oothouts,  father 
and  son,  with  their  wives.  At  five  o'clock  Louise  and  I 
made  some  visits  and  then  drove  for  an  hour. 

We  dined  at  home  in  the  evening  and  at  eleven  o'clock 
went  to  the  Charity  Ball  at  the  Grand  Opera  House, 
Louise  being  one  of  the  patronesses.  We  had  taken  Loge 
No.  2,  a  baignoire  immediately  opposite  that  of  His  High- 
ness. The  Court  being  in  mourning,  neither  he,  the  Khe- 
diveh  mere,  nor  the  Khediveh  was  present.  It,  however, 
was  a  most  successful  affair.  Our  loge  was  filled  by  a 
throng  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  coming  and  going,  until 
one  o'clock,  then,  without  partaking  of  supper,  we  went 
home. 

Friday  —  March  18.  I  took  no  walk  this  morning,  be- 
ing mail  day,  and  having  a  quantity  of  dispatches  and 
reports  to  get  off  to  Washington.  I  was  at  my  desk  before 
eight.  With  but  slight  interruption  was  busy  until  noon. 


232  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Rev.  Mr.  Baker,  pastor  of  the  church  which  President 
McKinley  attends  in  Washington,  with  his  son,  called  in 
the  afternoon  and  made  a  long  and  interesting  visit.  Also 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell,  who  go  to  Europe  on  Sunday,  from 
Cairo  to  Alexandria.  Louise  went  to  some  meeting  or 
other  that  took  place  at  Lady  Cromer's,  Vhere  she  met 
Mme.  de  Willebois,  Mme.  Koyander,  and  Mme.  Cogor- 
dan.  The  result  showed  that  their  charitable  efforts  had 
resulted  in  a  gain  of  over  twelve  thousand  francs. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  Soldiers'  Club  to  hear  the 
Soldiers'  Minstrels.  Met  there  Majors  Gordon  and  Wynd- 
ham,  and  a  number  of  other  officers  that  I  knew.  Gen- 
eral Grenfell  and  Lady  Grenfell  were  there  also.  It  was 
raining  quite  hard  when  I  left  the  Agency  and  doubtless 
continued  the  downpour  while  the  entertainment  was 
going  on,  for  it  still  rained  when  I  left  the  club  for  home. 

^  Saturday  —  March  19.  This  is  the  morning  of  the  Mah- 
mal  (Holy  Carpet),  and  as  the  rain  had  been  falling  all 
night,  more  or  less,  and  was  still  pouring  at  seven  o'clock, 
when  I  rose,  I  sent  word  to  Fero  not  to  come  for  me  at 
8.30,  but  it  held  up  at  eight  when  I  determined  to  go  to 
the  great  square  of  the  Citadel  to  witness  the  ceremo- 
nies. It  was  8.45  before  I  left  the  house. 

Fortunately,  the  Khedive  himself  was  behindhand. 
Just  as  my  carriage  reached  the  head  of  the  Sharia  Mah- 
graby,  his  escort,  a  troop  of  horse,  dashed  by;  this  was 
followed  by  His  Highness  in  the  State  carriage,  an  open 
landau,  with  postillions  and  two  men  on  the  box,  drawn 
by  four  superb  bay  horses,  attended  by  four  sices.  On 
each  side  of  the  carriage  rode  two  troopers,  and  following 
it  horsemen  the  same  distance  in  the  rear  as  was  the  troop 


The  Procession  of  the  Mahmal 
First  View 


THE  HOLY  CARPET  )  233 

> 

that  preceded  the  carriage.  The  Khedive  had  alongside 
him  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  the  Prime  Minister,  and 
opposite  to  him  Fakhri  Pasha,  Minister  of  Public  Works, 
and  vis-a-vis  to  Fehmy,  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs.  After  the  Khedive's  carriage,  came 
that  of  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  and  after  that,  that  of  Ghazi 
Mukhtar  Pasha,  the  Turkish  High  Commissioner.  A 
half-dozen  or  more  carriages,  filled  with  gold-laced  offi- 
cials, followed,  and  then  we  drove  in  line  and  made  a  part 
of  the  procession  to  Mehemet  Ali  Square. 

The  Khedive  was  received  by  two  regiments  of  infan- 
try and  a  salvo  of  twenty-one  guns  from  a  battery  on  the 
ground.  Alighting,  he  was  met  by  the  Grand  Cadi  and 
the  Ulemas,  representing  the  Mussulman  Church,  and 
followed  by  them  into  the  Palace.  In  about  fifteen  min- 
utes he  came  out  with  all  the  above  and  the  high  func- 
tionaries and  stood  to  hand  over  to  the  priests  (if  they  can 
be  so  called)  the  charge  of  the  Mahmal,  which,  in  parts, 
had  been  brought,  or  was  being  brought,  before  him. 

First  came  a  great  brown  richly  caparisoned  camel,  on 
the  back  of  which  was  a  great  pagoda,  closed  on  all 
sides  by  embroidered  curtains,  in  which  the  Holy  Carpet 
will  be  transported  to  Mecca.  It  was  led  by  two  Arabs, 
and  was  followed,  after  the  ceremony  was  over,  by  five 
camels,  each  caparisoned  and  led  by  two  Arabs,  and  on 
which  were  seated  Arabs  with  horns  through  which  they 
squeaked  and  drums  on  which  they  monotonously  beat. 
All  this  time  a  band  played  a  curious,  hymn-like  air,  that 
was  not  exactly  musical,  but  was  not  unpleasing. 

After  the  camels  passed,  the  Mahmal,  in  pieces  thirty 
feet  long  and  about  ten  feet  wide,  perhaps  ten  or  twelve 
of  them,  was  carried  on  forms,  each  by  a  dozen  or  more 


234  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Arabs,  all  chanting,  or  yelling  at  the  top  of  their  voices, 
while  the  mass  of  street  Arabs  rushed  in  upon  them  to 
kiss  the  carpet  or  assist  in  carrying  it.  These  forms  were 
something  like  this,  with  handles  or  arms. 


The  carpet  was  of  black  cloth,  on  which  were  embroid- 
ered in  gold,  almost  covering  it  completely,  verses  from 
the  Koran.  When  all  had  passed,  the  Khedive's  carriage 
was  driven  up,  the  troops  first  having  filed  by,  as  in  a 
review,  and  off  he  went  with  loud  cries  from  the  populace 
and  again  a  salute  of  twenty-one  guns.  There  were  great 
crowds  of  people  gathered,  not  only  in  the  square,  but  all 
along  the  route  to  the  Mosque  Saidna-el-Hussein,  where 
the  carpet  will  remain  for  about  twenty  days,  to  be  sewed 
together  in  one  great  piece,  and  then  it  will  start  with  the 
pilgrims  to  Mecca,  the  Holy  City.  It  is  said  the  cost  of  the 
carpet  will  be  not  less  than  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

I  returned  to  the  office  about  ten  o'clock,  the  rain  had 
ceased  and  the  sun  shone  brightly  —  and  most  deli- 
ciously  refreshing  was  the  temperature  and  air.  Turnure 
came  in  to  invite  Watts  and  me  to  go  duck  and  quail 
shooting  on  Wednesday  next,  and  he  remained  to  lunch- 
eon. After  which,  Judge  Tuck  came,  and  it  was  after 
four  o'clock  before  the  party  broke  up. 

At  five  o'clock,  Louise  and  I  having  been  invited  by 
Mrs.  Bacon  to  take  tea  with  her  on  the  Terrace  of  Shep- 


The  Procession  of  the  Mahmal 
Second  View 


AGREEABLE  GUESTS  235 

beard's,  drove  there,  where  we  met  a  host  of  acquaint- 
ances, many  of  whom  will  leave  Cairo  to-morrow,  and 
Tuesday  next.  Soon  the  town  will  be  bare  of  its  winter 
visitors.  One  notices  a  great  difference  already  in  the 
rush  about  the  streets.  We  dined  alone,  and  though 
invited  by  Lady  Palmer  to  a  concert,  concluded  that  we 
preferred  the  quiet  and  peace  of  our  own  home. 

Sunday  —  March  20.  I  only  walked  as  far  as  the  bridge 
this  morning,  about  forty-five  minutes.  Remained  in- 
doors and  wrote  letters  until  eleven,  when  Louise  and  I 
took  a  walk  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  We  had  in- 
vited Miss  Procter  and  Miss  Houghton,  of  Boston,  friends 
of  Dr.  Stille,  who  gave  them  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
me,  to  breakfast,  and  with  Colonel  Green,  of  the  British 
Army,  and  my  secretary,  sat  down  at  12.30.  Our  guests 
remained  until  3.30.  The  ladies  had  been  "around  the 
world,"  having  left  Vancouver  last  September,  remaining 
seven  weeks  in  Japan  and  three  in  China.  They  had  been 
in  India  and  Ceylon  and  were  about  going  from  here 
to  Palestine  and  Constantinople,  via  Smyrna  and  Athens. 
They  were  attractive-looking  and  were  delightfully  intel- 
ligent, about  fifty  years  old. 

In  the  afternoon  I  was  driven  to  the  railroad  station, 
where  I  went  to  say  "adieu"  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell, 
and  Miss  Lewis.  Louise  went  to  Mme.  Ralli  —  her  day. 
We  dined  at  home  and  in  the  evening  enjoyed  a  large  mail 
from  America  and  the  last  newspapers. 

Monday  —  March  21.  I  took  my  usual  walk,  starting 
at  7.50,  to  the  bridge  and  back.  Quite  a  number  of  Ameri- 
cans came  in  during  the  morning,  some  for  teskaras,  some 


236  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

for  information  on  tariff,  and  others  on  contracts  with 
dragomans,  so  that  the  morning  was  fully  taken  up. 
Nothing  of  interest  at  the  Agency  in  the  afternoon.  Louise 
and  I  took  a  drive  and  afterwards  made  up  a  list  for  a 
dinner  on  the  28th,  to  Baron  von  Miiller  and  sister.  The 
invitations  were  "lanced"  before  I  went  to  the  Khedivial 
Club,  where  Watts  gave  a  dinner.  Fourteen  sat  down, 
and  among  them  were  Judge  Tuck,  Messrs.  Morley,  Mor- 
gan, Bohlen,  Spencer  Biddle  (these  last  three  Americans), 
Major  Dallas,  Perry,  Aspinall,  Brodrick,  Dr.  Garner, 
Wallack,  Thubron,  Watts,  and  myself.  The  dinner  was 
a  capital  one. 

We  sat  down  about  8.15  and  did  not  leave  the  table 
until  1 1 .30.  Two  or  three  of  the  English  or  Irish  men  had 
good  voices  and  sang.  Among  the  songs  were  "My  sweet- 
heart's an  Irish  girl,"  which  has  a  stunning  chorus;  "A 
Hunting  Morning";  "Old  Shady";  "I  love  my  cocktail 
in  the  morning";  "The  Harem,"  by  Bohlen;  "March- 
ing through  Georgia,"  and  some  American  negro  melo- 
dies. The  wine  flowed  freely  and  some  of  the  company 
were  a  "good  deal  worse  for  wear"  by  the  time  the  eve- 
ning was  over.  I  told  the  "Banks"  and  "Red-Hot"  stories 
after  a  good  deal  of  persuasion,  by  Watts  and  Biddle. 
Also  the  "Just  as  good  on  fish  as  on  birds."  They  seem 
to  have  been  well  received.  At  the  close  of  the  dinner  we 
drank  to  Watts's  health  and  sang,  "He's  a  jolly  good 
fellow"  and  "So  say  we  all  of  us."  Besides  Dr.  Garner 
who  sang  the  "Irish  Girl,"  Aspinall  sang  the  "Hunting 
Song,"  Tuck  told  several  good  stories,  that  will  hardly 
bear  immortalizing  (!)  in  these  pages. 

Tuesday  —  March  22.    I  took  my  usual  walk  to  the 


SHOOTING  DUCKS  AND  QUAIL          237 

bridge;  starting  at  7.40.  Really  nothing  doing  all  the 
morning  but  one  or  two  passports  and  the  same  of  in- 
voices. In  the  afternoon  Louise  had  her  day.  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  the  rooms  so  full  at  5.30,  but  the  crowd,  as 
in  the  past,  did  not  start  to  come  and  go  as  early  as  3.45, 
to  begin  with.  The  first  visitors  were  Miss  Procter  and 
Miss  Houghton,  and  they  did  not  appear  until  after  4.15. 
The  larger  part  of  the  visitors  were  resident  people,  al- 
though there  was  a  fair  number  of  Americans,  who  were 
going  away  during  the  week,  who  called  to  say  "adieu." 
We  had  declined  a  dinner,  Louise  not  wishing  to  go  out 
on  the  evenings  of  her  fatiguing  receptions;  so  we,  with 
four  of  our  visitors,  whom  we  invited  to  join  us,  dined 
at  home. 

Wednesday  —  March  23.  Watts  and  I  started  off  early 
and  caught  the  up-river  train  at  eight  o'clock  for  Ayat, 
about  one  and  a  half  hours  from  Cairo,  to  shoot  ducks 
and  quail.  On  arriving  at  Ayat,  we  found  quite  an  escort. 
First,  there  was  a  mounted  policeman  as  an  honor  guard, 
then  three  donkeys  and  a  horse  for  me  and  Watts  and 
our  guides,  or  men,  who  were  to  take  us  to  the  little  lake 
where  the  ducks  were  to  be  found.  Then  two  carriers 
for,  our  guns  and  luncheon,  and  six  boys  —  beaters  — 
to  flush  the  quail.  In  addition,  a  water-carrier,  with  his 
porous  bottle  to  supply  us,  if  needed,  with  something  to 
drink.  We  provided  ourselves  with  lamb  chops,  roast 
quail,  bread-and-butter,  "cakes  and  ale,"  or  rather  lager 
beer  of  the  Schlitz  Brewing  Company,  Milwaukee,  and 
lots  of  soda  water. 

We  rode  across  the  cultivated  country  along  or  on  top 
of  the  banks,  and  then  across  the  desert  for  an  hour  and 


238  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

a  half,  at  last  arriving  at  our  destination,  which  was  a 
pond  with  a  lot  of  marsh  about  it,  in  the  midst  of  the 
sand  hills  and  basalt-covered  ground.  No  sign  of  vege- 
tation, except  immediately  about  the  pond.  The  sun 
blazed  down  upon  us  and  the  temperature  could  not  have 
been  less  than  140°;  but  the  air  was  so  dry  that  it  was 
bearable  if  one  could  have  kept  still  or  could  have  had 
an  umbrella.  There  was  a  large  number  of  ducks,  say 
two  to  three  hundred,  sleeping  on  the  bosom  of  the  pond. 
We  took  our  station  in  blinds  that  had  already  been  pre- 
pared and  fired  a  shot  to  arouse  the  birds.  Soon  we  had 
them  flying  from  one  end  of  the  pond  to  the  other,  and 
before  they  cleared  out,  we  had  got  down  seven  —  three 
by  Watts  and  four  by  me.  It  was  too  hot,  however,  to 
await  the  return  of  any,  or  a  part  of  them,  so  we  shel- 
tered ourselves  as  best  we  might  in  the  blinds,  and  at  one 
o'clock  took  luncheon. 

About  2.15  we  started  out  for  quail.  These  birds  are 
now  on  their  passage  from  the  Sudan  and  Upper  Egypt 
for  Europe.  They  do  not  lie  in  coveys,  but  singly,  and 
are  found  in  the  fields  of  growing  clover  or  barley,  which 
are  knee-high  and  as  rough  as  one  of  our  cornfields.  The 
party  spread  itself  out  —  ten  in  all  —  Watts  at  one  end 
and  I  at  the  other,  and  about  six  or  eight  feet  apart,  and 
so  marched,  or  walked,  in  line  across  the  fields,  a  most 
exhausting  and  tiresome  proceeding.  As  we  walked,  the 
beaters  made  a  buzzing  noise,  and  occasionally  would 
flush  a  bird,  which,  if  we  could,  we  would  knock  down; 
but  being  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  the  birds  lay  close, 
and  though  they  were  said  to  be  plentiful,  it  was  only 
at  great  intervals  that  we  saw  any.  After  nearly  having 
sunstroke  during  the  hour  or  more  we  tramped  the  diffi- 


MUSTAPHA  PASHA  FEHMY  239 

cult  ground,  we  gave  it  up,  worn  out,  and  thankful  that 
we  were  alive!  Our  donkeys  met  us  and  we  rode  back  to 
the  station,  whence  we  took  a  train  at  5  P.M.  and  reached 
the  Agency  at  6.45.  I  dined  at  home  and  went  to  bed  at 
ten  o'clock. 

Thursday  —  March  24.  I  started  out  rather  late  this 
morning,  at  8.20,  and  met,  just  as  I  reached  the  circle  in 
front  of  the  palace  of  Mehemet  Ali,  M.  de  Willebois  and 
his  two  daughters,  whom  I  joined.  We  walked  together 
through  the  town  for  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour. 
On  my  return  to  the  Agency  I  found  Charley  Bohlen, 
who  made  quite  a  visit.  He  was  followed  by  a  Mr.  Low, 
of  New  York,  and  he,  by  Mr.  Morgan.  Between  them  the 
morning  passed. 

In  the  afternoon,  at  5.30,  I  drove  around  Ghezireh 
Island.  The  day  was  overpoweringly  hot  in  the  sun,  and 
quite  too  warm  in  the  shade  to  move  quickly.  "Lady 
Knox"  lost  a  shoe,  which  required  us  to  return  at  almost 
a  walk. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  Ghezireh  Casino  to  the 
dinner  given  by  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,1  the  Prime 
Minister,  or  President  of  the  Council,  as  he  is  styled. 
Eighty-two  sat  down  in  the  grand  salon,  which  usually 
is  used  as  a  dancing-room.  The  table  was  beautifully 
decorated,  as  it  was  at  the  time  of  the  Fakhri  dinner, 
with  flowers  down  the  center  and  tiny  electric,  multi- 
colored, lights  intermingled. 

1  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  Prime  Minister  and  President  of  the  Council,  as 
he  was  called,  also  had  been  Prime  Minister  under  Tewfik.  He  was  unreservedly 
in  sympathy  with  the  English,  preferring  England's  protection  and  domination 
to  that  of  any  other  great  Power.  There  were  curious  stories  afloat  as  to  his 
having  done  away  with  the  treasurer  of  Ismail  Pasha,  whom  he  got  on  board 
of  a  boat,  and  who  seems  to  have  disappeared  after  this.  But  in  Oriental  lands 
such  stories  are  frequently  circulated  with  or  without  reason.  (EDITOR.) 


240  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Louise  was  taken  in  by  Lord  Cromer,  who  sat  next  to 
Mme.  de  Willebois,  who  was  taken  in  by  Fehmy.  I  "gave 
the  arm"  to  Mile.  Freida  de  Willebois,  with  whom  I  had 
a  charming  time  — wre  are  great  friends.  On  my  left 
was  Mile.  Murano.  After  the  dinner  we  had  fire-works,  a 
mock  tournament  between  men  and  horses.  The  men 
carried  lances  that  squirted  fire,  and  the  horses,  rockets 
that  shot  out  different  colored  balls  of  fire  with  loud  re- 
ports. The  night  was  warm,  and  altogether  the  dinner 
and  after-entertainment  were  excellent  and  much  en- 
joyed. Home  by  11.15. 

Friday — March  25. 1  rode  my  donkey  for  the  first  time 
this  morning,  starting  at  7.30  from  the  Agency.  This 
donkey  was  sent  down  to  me  from  Assiut  as  a  present 
by  the  Consular  Agent  there,  Bestauros  W.  Khoyatt.  He 
sent  two  —  a  white  and  black;  but  I  returned  one  of 
them,  the  black,  being  unwilling  to  accept  them  both. 
The  white  one  is  the  best  I  have  ever  seen;  he  has  a  long, 
fine,  and  well-bred-looking  neck,  a  sturdy  body,  and  legs 
as  clean  as  a  whistle.  He  is  the  only  donkey  that  I  ever 
rode  that  had  a  good  mouth.  He  has  been  well  bitted 
and  is  neck-wise.  I  had  a  delightful  ride  on  him  around 
Ghezireh  Island,  making  the  round  in  forty-five  minutes 
ambling  and  trotting. 

During  the  morning  I  called  on  Mr.,  Mrs.,  and  Miss 
Low,  of  New  York,  at  Shepheard's,  and  met  there  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Barringer,  of  Philadelphia,  also  Mrs.  Mason. 
Mr.  Low  drove  back  with  me  to  the  Agency  and  made 
Watts  and  me  quite  a  visit. 

Louise  and  I  breakfasted  with  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Cooper, 
where  we  met  General  Sir  Francis  and  Lady  Grenfell 


MORNING  DONKEY  RIDES  241 

and  some  other  people,  whose  names  I  forget:  all  Eng- 
lish. The  breakfast  was  good  and  the  company  "sym- 
pathetic." We  afterwards  took  a  walk  about  5.30,  when 
the  crowds  were  coming  in  from  the  races.  Dined  and 
passed  the  evening  at  home  most  delightfully  with  the 
files  of  home  (United  States)  papers. 

Saturday — March  26.  I  rode  again  this  morning  around 
Ghezireh  Island;  this  time  making  the  turn  in  forty  min- 
utes, cantering  more  than  half  of  the  distance.  It  looked 
like  rain  at  seven  o'clock  and  Fero  thought  I  would  not 
go,  so  I  was  obliged  to  send  to  the  stable  for  the  donkey. 
It  turned  out  to  be  cloudy  and  cool,  just  the  morning  for 
a  ride,  and  I  enjoyed  it  exceedingly.  Judge  Tuck  came 
in  and  remained  nearly  two  hours. 

I  did  not  leave  the  house  during  the  afternoon  or  eve- 
ning. Declined  an  invitation  to  Mme.  Ralli's,  also  a  din- 
ner at  Murano's.  Accepted  a  dinner  at  de  Hoelzske's  for 
Monday,  4th  April. 

Sunday  —  March  27.  Donkey  ride  around  Ghezireh 
Island,  starting  at  7.30.  The  morning  was  bright  and 
fresh,  though  not  so  cool  as  yesterday  and  not  so  pleasant 
for  the  ride.  However,  I  had  a  delightful  forty  minutes. 
After  breakfast  I  set  to  work  to  catch  up  with  my  cor- 
respondence, a  pile  of  personal  and  other  letters  having 
accumulated.  A  long  letter  had  to  be  written  to  Mrs. 
Stevenson,  and  I  was  behindhand  with  a  lot  of  others.  I 
wrote  until  luncheon  was  announced;  and  was  at  it  again 
after  that  meal,  and,  with  the  exception  of  about  an  hour, 
I  wrote  steadily  until  4.30. 

Louise  and  I  started  out  at  five  o'clock  and  made  visits 


242  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

to  Mrs.  Crookshank  Pasha,  Mme.  Kataueri,  and  after- 
wards to  Ghezireh  Palace,  to  take  tea  with  Countess 
Montjoie,  where  we  met  the  French  Minister  and  Mme. 
Cogordan,  Colonel,  the  son  of  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha, 
Neghi  Ghali  Bey,  son  of  Boutros  Pasha,  and  Lady  Briggs. 
Dined  alone,  Louise  and  I,  having  refused  two  dinners, 
and  passed  the  evening  together  over  our  newspapers  and 
books. 

Monday  —  March  28.  Out  very  early  this  morning,  be- 
fore seven  o'clock.  I  rode  to  the  Ghezireh  Sporting  Club 
and  around  its  race-course;  altogether,  before  I  returned 
to  the  Agency,  about  seven  or  eight  miles,  cantering  most 
of  the  way.  :< 

I  had  a  very  important  interview  with  an  American 
who  used  to  represent  the  Walter  A.  Wood  Manufactur- 
ing Company,  and  interested  him  in  helping  to  introduce 
American  manufactures,  if  a  depot  could  be  established 
in  Alexandria  and  Cairo.  Barringer  called  and  also  Tur- 
nure,  during  the  afternoon.  After  they  had  gone  I  visited 
Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  a  Pasha  at  Shubra,  and  the  father 
of  the  office  dragoman,  an  important  Arab  lawyer,  said  to 
be  the  best  in  Egypt. 

In  the  evening,  we  gave  a  dinner  to  the  sister  of  the 
German  Minister,  Fraulein  von  Miiller.  The  table  was 
round  and  beautifully  decorated  with  pink  roses.  Our 
guests  were  von  Miiller  and  sister;  the  Italian  Minister, 
Tugini,  and  his  wife;  the  Khedive's  Minister  of  Public 
Works,  Fakhri  Pasha,  who  had  the  place  of  honor  and 
took  in  Louise;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perry  (Perry  is  the  Direc- 
tor-General of  Cities,  etc.);  Mr.  and  Mrs.  and  Miss  de 
Hoelzske.  De  Hoelzske  is  the  representative  of  Russia  in 


DINNER  TO  FRAULEIN  VON  MULLER    243 

the  Caisse  de  la  Dette.  It  was  really  a  charming  dinner. 
I  took  in  Mme.  Tugini.  The  following  was  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  guests : 


Louise 


Pasha 


Tugini 


Mrs. 
Perry 

Von 
Muller 


Mme.de 
Hoelzske 


TS.H 


Missde 
Hoelzske 


Mr.  Perry 


Miss  von 
Muller 


De  Hoelzske 


Mme.  Tugini 

The  dinner  itself  was  over  by  ten,  but  the  guests  did  not 
leave  the  house  until  after  eleven  o'clock.  The  men 
smoked  for  a  half-hour  and  then  remained  a  half-hour 
after  joining  the  ladies. 

Tuesday  —  March  29.  Did  not  start  out  this  morning 
until  7.15.  I  took  the  same  ride  as  yesterday.  Had  a  busy 
morning  with  correspondence,  first  having  gone  to  the 
railroad  station  to  bid  Mrs.  Mason  Bey  good-bye.  In  the 
afternoon  Louise  held  her  last  "day  at  home,"  and  before 
it  was  over  the  usual  crowd  of  visitors  came,  the  last  not 
quitting  the  house  until  7.10.  In  the  evening  we  went  to 
the  opera  house  to  see  some  amateurs  acting  for  the  bene- 


244  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

fit  of  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals, 
and  were  afflicted  beyond  measure  by  the  "awful  rot" 
that  was  impudently  displayed.  We  had  a  loge,  and  in  it 
were  Mrs.  Bacon,  the  Countess  Montjoie  and  her  daugh- 
ter, an  Italian  writer,  Louise,  my  secretary,  and  myself. 
Being  hosts,  we  had  to  remain  until  the  thing  was  over; 
—  at  last  we  left  at  midnight.  We  had  refused  two  dinner 
parties  for  to-day — one  at  Murano's,  and  I  forget  the  other. 

Wednesday  —  March  30.  Usual  donkey  ride  —  back  at 
the  Agency  at  8.15.  The  air  was  fresh  and  deliciously  cool. 
It  seems  so  remarkable  that  with  such  refreshing  early 
mornings,  the  days  should  be  so  oppressively  hot.  For- 
tunately, after  six  o'clock,  there  is  a  change  from  the'mid- 
day  and  afternoon  heat,  the  evenings  being  cool.  Thay 
say  this  continues  until  September,  when,  due  to  the 
"high  Nile"  and  the  general  humidity,  the  nights  are 
about  the  same  temperature  as  the  days.  In  my  morning 
rides  I  meet  men  and  women,  mostly  English,  taking  a 
bicycle  or  horseback  ride,  and  quite  a  number  out  for  an 
early  walk.  i 

The  fellaheen  are  coming  into  the  city  in  swarms,  with 
fresh-cut  clover  on  camels  and  asses  or  with  garden  pro- 
duce. The  Kasr-el-Nil  Bridge  is  a  sight  to  see,  so  crowded, 
so  animated  is  it.  One  has  to  laugh  at  the  solemn  dignity 
of  some  old  sheik  or  Arab,  with  white  turban,  riding  a 
diminutive  ass,  without  saddle  or  bridle,  legs  dangling,  and 
his  blue  robe  flapping  in  the  wind.  For  all  the  world,  he 
looks  as  if  he  assumed  enough  to  be  Governor  of  Cairo. 
As  soon  as  I  cross  the  bridge,  I  strike  off  to  the  right  and 
then  almost  have  the  road  to  myself,  though  occasionally 
I  overtake  a  rider  or  bicycler. 


THE  KASR-EL-NIL  BRIDGE  245 

_Mr.  George  Bend  came  in  during  the  morning  and  made 
Louise  and  me  quite  a  visit.  I  returned  Mr.  Warner's 
call  during  the  afternoon  and  then  took  a  drive  behind 
Louise's  mares.  In  the  evening  we  dined  with  the  Countess 
Landberg  at  Shepheard's,  where  we  met  de  Willebois  and 
wife,  the  Spanish  and  Persian  Ministers,  etc.  After  dinner 
we  went  to  the  Countess's  salon  and  there  played  whist 
until  11.15. 

Thursday  —  March  31.  Usual  donkey  ride,  starting, 
however,  a  little  late,  —  7.35,  —  and  not  going  all  the 
way  round  the  race-course  at  the  Ghezireh  Club.  I  was, 
therefore,  only  about  forty  minutes  on  donkey  back.  I 
had  made  an  engagement  a  few  days  before  to  go  shop- 
ping with  the  Countess  della  Sala;  but  Watts  not  putting 
in  an  appearance  at  the  office  by  9.45,  I  thought  some- 
thing the  matter  with  him  and  so  wrote  the  Countess, 
"begging  off."  Rather  busy  during  the  morning  with  pass- 
ports, etc.  Mr.  Barringer  and  Judge  Tuck  were  among  the 
visitors,  the  former  in  the  morning  and  the  latter  in  the 
afternoon.  I  took  him  and  Watts  for  a  drive,  starting 
about  five  o'clock  and  stopping  at  the  Sporting  Club  about 
half  an  hour.  Louise  and  I  dined  and  passed  the  evening 
alone,  with  mutual  satisfaction. 

Friday  —  April  L  Out  early  this  morning  with  the 
donkey  and  made  the  full  Ghezireh  race-course  ride,  and, 
at  9.15,  started  with  Fero  to  the  railroad  station  to  say 
"good-bye"  to  the  Bend  family,  and  Mr.  Smart,  Mehe- 
met  Ali's  old  friend.  I  was  then  driven  to  the  Minister 
of  Public  Works,  to  see  Sir  William  Garstin,  but  being 
Friday,  Mussulman  Sunday,  the  office  was  closed  and 


246  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

he  absent.  Received  a  cablegram  from  the  Department, 
granting  a  sixty-days'  (!)  leave.  Was  called  on  by  Mr. 
Laffan,  Mr.  H.  Walters,  of  Baltimore,  and  Mr.  Frank 
Kidder,  of  New  York.  The  three,  with,  I  think,  Mrs. 
Walters,  make  up  a  yachting  party  on  Mr.  Walters's 
yacht.  The  boat  was  built  for  young  Lebaudy  and  was 
bought  by  Anthony  Drexel;  when  he  built  the  Marga- 
rita, it  was  sold  to  Mr.  Walters.  They  called  while  I  was 
at  the  Public  Works  Department  and  I  missed  them;  but 
I  returned  the  call  in  the  afternoon  and  found  them  on 
Shepheard's  Terrace.  Laffan  is  one  of  the  proprietors  and 
editors  of  the  New  York  "Sun."1  Invited  them  to  break- 
fast with  us  to-morrow  or  Sunday  morning.  Louise  drove 
out.  I  had  too  much  to  do  to  get  my  dispatches  off,  Friday 
being  best  mail  day.  Dined  and  spent  the  evening  at 
home. 

Saturday  —  April  2.  Out  by  7.15  and  had  a  delightful 
ride  around  the  race-course;  the  morning,  at  first  fresh, 
became  warm  before  I  got  back,  which  made  my  cold 
bath  all  the  more  enjoyable.  Went  out  at  ten  o'clock 
with  the  Countess  della  Sala  to  the  bazaars.  She  took  me 
to  her  jeweler  on  the  Mouskey,  who  had  some  beautiful 
jewels,  and  to  two  other  merchants  in  the  bazaars.  I  did 
not  buy  anything,  but  made  some  offers  which  may  be 
accepted. 

On  my  return  to  the  Agency,  a  few  minutes  afterwards, 
Mr.  Laffan  and  Mr.  Walters  called.  The  former  had  re- 

1  Mr.  Laffan  was  a  close  friend  of  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  who  consulted 
him  about  his  art  and  scientific  interests.  After  Mr.  Laffan's  death  Mr.  Morgan 
established  in  his  honor  a  memorial  chair  of  Semitic  Archaeology  in  Yale  Uni- 
versity, the  first  and  present  incumbent  of  which  is  Professor  Albert  T.  Clay. 
Mr.  Laffan  and  James  Gordon  Bennett,  during  the  Spanish  War,  made  the 
Agency  their  headquarters.  (EDITOR.) 


THE  SPANISH  WAR  247 

ceived  dispatches  that  war  with  Spain  was  inevitable,  in 
fact,  had  already  broken  out,  but  that  it  would  not  be 
formal  until  Monday,  the  4th,  when  Congress  would  act 
on  a  message  from  the  President;  the  torpedo  fleet  of 
Spain  had  already  been  stopped  by  the  United  States, 
and  this  in  itself  was  an  act  of  war. 

While  I  have  hoped  against  hostilities,  I  could  not  see 
how  a  war  was  to  be  avoided  with  such  a  proud  power  as 
Spain,  and  she  in  such  a  deplorable  state  that  only  a  war 
would  or  could  be  her  excuse  to  account  for  her  loss  of 
Cuba.  I  am  glad  I  have  my  leave,  that  I  may  be  in  the 
thick  of  what  may  be  going  on  at  home  this  summer.  Here 
one  would  die  for  news  and  only  get  it  seven  days  old ! ! 
Remained  at  home  all  the  afternoon.  The  day  was  very 
hot,  a  khamseen  blowing,  and  the  closed  house  was  the  only 
comfortable  shelter. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  de  Hoelzskes'  dinner,  at 
which  there  were  but  twelve,  the  only  other  Diplomatic 
Agent  present  being  Baron  von  Heidler,  of  Austria.  I 
took  in  Mme.  Ralli,  a  very  charming  and  pretty  young 
Greek,  who  had  married  a  Frenchman  and  who  lived  al- 
ternately in  Cairo  and  Paris,  having  an  apartment  in  both 
cities.  Louise  was  taken  in  by  Baron  de  Hoelzske.  The 
dinner  was  good,  though  not  fine.  The  wines,  except  the 
champagne,  which  was  sweet,  were  excellent,  especially 
the  1889  Rudesheimer.  We  remained  until  10.30,  hav- 
ing passed  a  very  charming  evening.  The  de  Hoelzskes 
are  Russians  and  evidently  people  of  the  best  circle  of 
the  best  class  in  Russia.  He  had  an  important  function 
in  the  celebration  of  the  coronation  of  the  Czar,  of  which 
he  showed  us  a  number  of  photographs  in  which  he  ap- 
peared. 


248  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Sunday  —  April  3.  Having  given  to  Fero  a  holiday 
to  visit  his  soldier  friends,  who  are  camping  out  near  the 
Pyramids,  no  donkey  ride  this  morning.  It  was,  how- 
ever, just  as  well,  for  the  heat  was  excessive  outside  of 
the  house,  reaching  over  100°  by  3  P.M.,  while  in  the  house 
one  or  two  of  the  rooms  —  those  on  the  north  side  — 
never  had  a  temperature  above  74°  to  76°. 

Louise  and  I  remained  indoors  all  day.  Mail  from 
Europe  and  America  came  in  the  afternoon,  with  United 
States  newspapers.  They  were  full  of  interesting  details 
of  war  talk  and  preparations.  About  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening  I  went  to  Shepheard's  to  see  Mr.  Laffan,  to  take 
him  some  newspapers  and  to  learn  if  he  had  any  confir- 
mation of  the  confidential  information  that  he  had  given 
me  yesterday,  namely,  that  Congress  would  receive  a 
message  from  the  President  on  Monday,  to-morrow,  and 
on  it  immediately  declare  war  against  Spain. 

Mr.  Laffan  had  received  confirmatory  dispatches  dur- 
ing the  day  and  reiterated  what  he  had  yesterday  told 
me,  relieving  me  of  my  promise  not  to  mention  the  in- 
formation. On  quitting  him  I  sent  a  telegram  to  the  Khe- 
dive, as  follows:  "Reliable  but  unofficial  authority  states 
American  Congress  will  declare  war  against  Spain  to- 
morrow (Monday)."  I  then  drove  to  Lord  Cromer's  and 
gave  him  the  same  information.  Of  course  I  first  con- 
sulted with  Mr.  Laffan  before  thinking  it  needful,  or  wise, 
to  make  the  disclosure. 

Monday  —  April  4.  Although  the  heat  continued  all 
night  and  the  morning,  if  a  little  fresher,  was  still  warm 
from  the  prevailing  khamseen  winds,  I  started  on  my 
donkey  about  seven  o'clock  and  enjoyed  my  usual  ride 


EXCESSIVE  HEAT  249 

around  Ghezireh  race-course.  I  wrote  dispatches  all  the 
morning  and  prepared  for  mailing  the  last  quarterly  re- 
turns. I  have  seldom  known  the  sun  to  have  such  power 
as  to-day  at  or  about  three  o'clock,  from  noon. 

We  were  invited  out  to  breakfast  at  the  de  Willebois's 
and  had  to  go  at  one  o'clock.  We  had  a  good  meal,  but 
were  almost  roasted  in  the  dining-room,  which  had  had 
the  sun  on  it  all  the  morning.  We  met  a  Mme.  Phillipoteau, 
wife  of  the  distinguished  artist  who  had  painted  so  many 
large  canvases,  such  as  "The  Battle  of  Gettysburg," 
which  were  shown  in  buildings  by  themselves,  and  were 
made  so  realistic  by  having  a  foreground  of  trees  and 
dummy  men  added,  cannon,  and  so  forth.  Cinadino  and 
daughter  also  were  there  and  a  Dutch  Count  whose  name 
I  did  not  catch. 

In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Laffan  and  Mr.  Walter  called 
and  gave  me  the  astounding  intelligence  embraced  in  the 
following  dispatch:  "Pope,  on  McKinley's  account,  in- 
tervened. Spain  accepts.  Grants  armistice.  Congress 
Wednesday."  We  understood  from  this,  not  that  Mc- 
Kinley  had  asked  the  Pope's  intervention  between  the 
United  States  and  Spain,  but  between  Spain  and  Cuba, 
and  that  the  armistice  was  for  the  insurgents.  Also,  that 
the  United  States  Congress,  instead  of  declaring  war,  as  was 
indicated  by  Friday's  and  Saturday's  dispatches,  would 
consider  the  President's  and  Pope's  action  on  the  7th 
inst.  Anyhow,  it  looks  as  if  peace  might  be  assured,  for 
which  —  thanks!  I  introduced  them  to  Louise  and  they 
made  us  quite  a  visit.  Miss  Robinson,  of  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut, who  was  accompanied  by  a  Mrs.  Frank  El- 
dridge,  wife  of  a  naval  officer  on  U.S.S.  Galena,  and  a  Mrs. 
Elmore  W.  Ross,  called,  with  a  letter  of  introduction 


250  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

from  Amy  Denniston  Perkins.   Mrs.  Eldridge  was  bitter 
against  war  and  the  Cubans. 

We  dined  and  spent  the  evening  at  home.  About  five 
o'clock  the  north  wind  came  and  the  temperature  after 
that  was  delightful.' 

Tuesday  —  April  5.  Out,  as  usual,  on  my  donkey  and 
took  my  ride;  the  morning  was  cool  and  delightful.  At 
9.15  went  to  the  railroad  station  to  bid  good-bye  to 
Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  to  Mesdames  Cogordan  and  Mas- 
kins,  wives  of  the  French  and  Belgian  Ministers,  and  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bacon.  All  the  Ministers  of  the  Khedive 
and  Court  personages,  many  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps, 
the  principal  members  of  the  French  and  Belgian  colo- 
nies, as  well  as  a  host  of  other  people,  were  there.  Louise 
and  I  afterwards  took  a  drive,  and  again,  in  the  afternoon, 
we  did  the  same. 

Wednesday  —  April  6.  Took  my  ride  as  usual;  busy 
all  the  morning  with  letter-writing.  At  1.15,  after  lunch- 
eon, at  which  he  remained,  Watts  and  I  were  driven  by 
Fero  in  the  two-seated  surrey,  with  canopy  top,  to  the 
Mena  House,  where  he  saw  the  Gymkhana. 

When  we  reached  the  bridge  that  crosses  the  Nile,  it 
was  four  minutes  after  the  hour  when  it  is  closed  against 
travel,  to  allow  the  boats  to  pass  up  and  down  the  river, 
and  the  men  were  opening  the  draw.  I  "played"  the 
Consul-General,  and  after  some  hesitation  the  draw  was 
closed  and  we  were  allowed  to  pass  over.  The  games  had 
not  begun^'when  we  reached  the  grounds,  nor  for  a  good 
half-hour  afterwards.  They  were  given  in  the  desert,  to 
the  north  of  the  hotel.  A  mile  track  had  been  laid  out 


THE  GYMKHANA  251 

in  the  sand,  marked  only  by  white  stones  about  six  feet 
apart.  Of  course  the  footing  for  the  horses  was  like  that 
in  the  Jersey  sands,  and  it  is  wonderful  how  fast  the  Arabs 
ran  and  how  little  exhausted  they  seemed.  We  met  a 
number  of  acquaintances,  especially  among  the  officers 
of  the  English  Army,  three  regiments  of  which  were  en- 
camped near  by  and  had  been  in  camp  there  for  the  past 
week.  At  5.30,  without  waiting  for  the  finals,  we  started 
back.  The  wind,  from  the  north,  was  high  and  very 
fresh,  an  overcoat  being  pleasant  to  wear. 

We  dined  alone,  having  refused  a  dinner  at  Countess 
Montjoie's  and  also  one  from  Baron  von  Heidler,  the 
Austrian  Minister.  I  went  to  bed  at  9.30.  Brewster  Bey 
called  during  the  morning  and  made  me  a  long  visit. 
After  a  talk  with  him,  I  decided  to  give  a  breakfast  to 
Ahmed  Pasha  Nachaat,  my  old  friend  of  1895,  who  gave 
me  the  Arab  tent  mare,  "  Aziza,"  which  I  sent  to  Pomfret 
during  the  spring  of  that  year. 

Thursday  —  April  7.  Out  by  seven  o'clock  on  my  don- 
key. I  met  von  Heidler,  he  on  a  bike;  also  one  of  the 
Secretaries  of  the  British  Legation;  quite  a  number  of 
early  walkers,  among  them  the  Hellers.  Deliciously  cool 
was  the  morning,  and  the  donkey  seemed  to  think  it  so, 
for  he  flirted  his  tail  and  started  off  and  continued  at  a 
gallop  as  long  as  I  permitted.  At  nine  o'clock  I  went 
with  Fero  to  call  on  Sir  William  Garstin,  more  especially 
on  the  business  that  brought  Mrs.  Stevenson  to  Egypt. 
Unfortunately,  he  was  so  taken  up  with  matters  relat- 
ing to  the  Barrage  and  Irrigating  Systems,  that  he  could 
give  me  no  information;  but  I  gathered  from  what  he 
did  say  that  the  stumbling-block,  M.  Loret,  was  on  the 


252  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

ragged  edge  of  being  removed  and  thus  his  opposition  may 
soon  be  ended.  Then  I  went  to  Cook's  about  tickets  to 
Florence  and  then  to  Collicott's.  In  the  afternoon  I  made 
some  calls.  We  dined  alone  and  went  to  bed  before  ten. 

Friday  —  April  8.  Although  the  donkey  shows  signs 
of  lameness  in  his  right  shoulder,  I  took  my  usual  ride, 
but  was  an  hour  and  a  quarter  making  the  usual  hour 
tour.  He  has  either  wrenched  himself  rolling  in  his  stall 
or  has  a  touch  of  rheumatism.  Eight  or  ten  letters  to 
business  firms  in  the  United  States,  who  had  written  to 
know  if  their  goods  would  find  a  market  in  Egypt,  giv- 
ing suggestions  and  many  details  as  to  packing,  etc.,  kept 
me  busy,  very  busy,  until  4.30,  when  I  took  a  drive, 
or  was  driven  by  Fero,  thirty-five  minutes  to  exercise  the 
mares. 

Colonel  Green,  Adjutant-General  of  the  British  Army, 
came  in  to  tell  me  of  the  great  victory  gained  during  the 
morning,  by  the  Anglo-Egyptian  forces  above  Berber, 
on  the  Atbara,  against  the  Dervishes,  taking  Mahmud, 
the  head  devil,  or  Caliph,  prisoner,  and  slaughtering 
great  numbers  of  the  tribesmen.  The  story,  as  he  told 
it,  was  very  interesting.  He  had  just  returned  from  the 
front  and  knew  the  country,  and  was  able,  from  knowl- 
edge, to  supply  what  the  telegrams  did  not  mention. 

We  dined  alone,  and  went  to  bed  by  ten  o'clock.  I  was 
very  sleepy,  having  slept  but  little  the  night  before. 

Saturday  —  April  9.  To-day  being  the  one  on  which 
the  Holy  Carpet  (Mahmal)  starts  on  its  journey  to  Mecca, 
I  did  not  take  out  the  donkey,  but  in  place  started  with 
my  secretary  to  see  the  show.  It  is  well  worth  seeing, 


THE  HOLY  CARPET  253 

with  its  picturesque  escort  of  caparisoned  camels,  mounted 
by  Arabs  playing  upon  small  drums  or  squeaking  pipes, 
and  a  troop  of  the  faithful,  headed  by  a  Pasha,  well 
mounted  on  a  gray,  arched-neck  stallion,  and  in  whose 
charge  the  carpet  is  given.  At  8.15  we  went  for  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali  to  the  square  in  front  of  the  Citadel.  I 
have  already  described  the  transportation  of  the  carpet 
from  that  point  on  March  19th.  To-day  was  finer;  the 
morning  was  most  delightful,  and  there  was  permitted 
no  rush  of  people  about  the  carpet,  as  it  started  from  in 
front  of  the  building,  where  it  had  been  given  by  the 
Khedive  to  and  in  charge  of  the  Pasha  and  escort. 

The  ceremony  was  the  same  as  on  the  19th.  The  same 
crowds  of  turbaned  people,  thousands  of  them  standing 
and  silently  looking  on  from  every  point  of  vantage.  The 
same  gold-embroidered  group  of  court  officers^  Minis- 
ters, and  officials  surrounding  the  Khedive,  the  same 
weird  music  that  was  played  as  the  Holy  Carpet  was 
carried,  in  its  pagoda-like  receptacle,  seven  times  around 
the  square  in  front  of  the  Khedive;  the  same  parade  of  it 
and  afterwards  of  the  troops  in  review;  the  departure  of 
His  Highness  in  his  state  carriage,  followed  by  Ghazi 
Mukhtar  and  the  Ministers,  all  as  it  was  before  described. 
But  this  time  the  Khediveh  mere  and  Khediveh,  and  the 
wives,  daughters,  and  sisters  of  the  princes  of  the  royal 
family,  as  well  as  the  wives  of  many  of  the  great  pashas, 
were  present.  Some  were  in  an  apartment  on  the  first 
floor  of  the  small  palace,  hidden  by  screens  through 
which  they  could  see,  but  not  be  seen;  others  remained 
in  their  carriages,  which  were  assigned  to  a  reserved  place, 
and  I  had  a  sight  of  many,  as  they  entered  their  broughams 
or  were  driven  by  the  spot  where  my  victoria  stood. 


254  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

After  the  ceremony,  I  called  on  the  Danish  and  the 
Belgian  Ministers,  it  being  their  fete  day.  Also  did  a 
lot  of  errands.  We  dined  alone. 

Sunday  —  April  10.  The  donkey  being  lame  from  new 
shoeing,  I  did  not  ride  this  morning,  but  instead  wrote  a 
number  of  letters.  My  secretary  had  started  out  at  7.30  to 
go  to  market  for  strawberries,  and  was  most  successful. 

We  had  invited  about  twenty  people  to  luncheon,  and 
had  made  champagne  cup  and  egg-nogg,  galore;  the  table 
in  my  office  was  a  sight  for  the  preparation  of  a  cocktail, 
with  shaker  and  jigger,  old  Tom,  vermouth,  angostura, 
and  orange  bitters;  lemons,  oranges,  and  strawberries, 
with  glasses  and  lots  of  ice.  The  guests  began  to  arrive 
about  twelve  o'clock,  the  first  being  the  Spanish  Minister, 
next  the  Persian;  after  him  the  Countess  de  Landberg, 
then  followed  de  Willebois,  wife  and  daughters,  Watts 
and  wife,  and  so  on,  until  all  had  come  and  all  wanted 
to  try  an  American  cocktail.  They  kept  my  maitre  d' hotel 
busy  compounding  and  shaking  for  a  half-hour  or  more. 
The  luncheon  was  a  stand-up  one;  the  only  things  hot 
being  a  consomme  and  lobster  cutlets.  All  seemed  to 
have  a  good  time  and  to  enjoy  the  meal. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  drove  to  the  Zoological 
Gardens  and  had  tea  in  the  arbor  on  the  island,  near 
which  the  Egyptian  band  played.  We  met  General  and 
Madame  Zohrab,  some  Americans  from  Bangor,  Maine, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dawkins,  the  Under-Secretary  of  Finance, 
and  wife.  Dined  alone,  having  refused  a  dinner  at  the 
Countess  Montjoie's.  Papers  having  come  from  America, 
I  give  below  an  extract  from  the  "Philadelphia  Press," 
written  by  Mrs.  Stevenson: 


THE  AGENCY  A  SOCIAL  CENTER        255 

The  season  in  Cairo  is  at  its  height.  The  town  is  full  of  travelers 
and  winter  residents.  The  hotels  are  crowded  and  their  managers, 
naturally,  are  elated  and  independent,  not  to  say  arrogant,  for  they 
can  well  afford  to  turn  off  newcomers  who  require  of  them  more 
than  they  are  disposed  to  give.  At  the  present  date,  no  influence, 
no  money,  can  procure  a  drawing-room  at  Shepheard's.  And  a  few 
days  ago,  upon  the  arrival  of  a  large  steamer,  people  were  glad  to 
sleep  four  in  a  single  room  —  or  even  in  the  bathrooms.  It  is  the 
same  thing  at  all  the  hotels. 

The  American  Consul-General,  Hon.  Thomas  S.  Harrison,  by 
his  genial  hospitality  is  making  the  American  Diplomatic  Agency 
one  of  the  most  important  social  centers  this  year.  Mrs.  Harri- 
son does  the  honors  with  a  kindliness  and  warmth  of  manner  that 
puts  every  one  at  ease.  Her  "Tuesdays"  are  crowded.  Besides 
these  general  receptions,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison  entertain  hand- 
somely those  among  their  more  distinguished  countrymen  who 
seem  to  them  to  have  a  special  claim  upon  their  attention. 

The  house  in  which  they  live  was  occupied  by  the  former  Ameri- 
can Consul-General,  Mr.  Penfield.  Not  only  has  it  been  charmingly 
refurnished,  but  the  building  itself  has  undergone  extensive  alter- 
ations, and  is  now  thoroughly  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  a  broader 
hospitality.  Here  is  one  sure  to  meet  the  most  interesting  people 
of  every  nation  —  as  well  as  the  very  pick  of  Egypt's  distinguished 
men. 

Monday  —  April  11.  Out  early  this  morning,  before 
seven  o'clock,  but  the  donkey  being  lame,  could  only  ride 
slowly  and  unenjoyably.  Paid  a  visit  to  Mr.  Donahue, 
of  Davenport,  Iowa,  at  Shepheard's,  and  afterwards,  on 
return  to  the  office,  wrote  home  letters.  To-night  is  the 
night  of  the  Danish  Minister's  dinner  that  we  declined, 
preferring  to  dine  alone,  which  we  did.  To  bed  early. 
Watts  drove  me  out  to  the  Sporting  Club,  where  we  met 
Sir  William  Garstin,  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Rennell  Rodd,  and  a  lot  of  other  people. 

Tuesday  —  April  12.  Donkey  being  lame,  I  walked  to 
the  Sporting  Club,  starting  before  seven  o'clock.    I  was 


256  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

an  hour  and  twenty  minutes  making  the  round,  and  felt 
a  little  tired  on  my  return  to  the  Agency,  but  the  bath 
and  a  little  after  rest  refreshed  me  and  I  felt  all  the  bet- 
ter for  the  long  walk.  Had  an  important  interview  with 
the  Tazi  heirs,  both  during  the  morning  and  afternoon. 
At  12.10  Ahmed  Pasha  Nachaat,  who  had  been  invited 
•for  breakfast  at  12.30,  arrived,  and  soon  afterwards 
Zulsifer  Ibrahim  Bey. 

Nachaat  was  formerly  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies, 
under  Ismail;  and  as  at  that  time  Ismail  was  an  auto- 
crat and  everything  was  from  the  Palace,  and  as  no  one 
could  enter  that,  or  see  Ismail,  except  through  the  Grand 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  it  will  be  understood  how  im- 
portant a  man  Nachaat  was  ! !  It  was  Nachaat  who  gave 
me  the  tent  Arab  mare  and  the  Mecca  donkey  —  the 
first  " Aziza"  and  the  last  "Kounfess."  "Aziza"  died  last 
October  at  Pomfret,  and,  having  no  use  for  him  while 
here,  I  let  Herbert  Howe  have  "Kounfess"  just  before 
I  left  the  States  last  fall. 

My  guests  at  breakfast  were  Nachaat;  Zulsifer;  Watts; 
Longworth,  of  the  "Sphinx";  Harrison,  of  Cook's;  Tur- 
nure,  and  my  secretary.  The  meal  was  excellent  and 
well  served.  The  party,  most  temperate,  not  drinking 
altogether  one  bottle  of  wine  —  Scotch  whiskey,  in  mod- 
erate quantity,  having  been  the  "tipple."  It  was  after 
three  o'clock  before  the  last  of  the  party  left. 

After  my  interview  with  the  Tazi  heirs,  I  drove  with 
Louise,  first  making  a  visit  with  her  to  the  Countess 
Montjoie  and  Mme.  Tugmi. 

In  the  evening  we  went,  much  against  our  will,  to  a 
dinner  at  the  German  Minister's,  von  Miiller.  It  was 
more  the  bother  of  dressing  for  Louise  and  a  general  in- 


Ahmed  Pasha  Nachaat 


Bl  -v 


DINNER  AT  THE  GERMAN  MINISTER'S    257 

ertness  after  so  active  a  season  that  gave  the  distaste,  for 
we  not  only  admire  but  greatly  like  von  Miiller.  So  after 
we  arrived  at  the  Legation,  we  were  well  satisfied  that 
we  had  not  refused  his  invitation,  as  it  was  the  second 
he  had  extended  to  us.  I  took  in  the  Countess  de  Mont- 
joie,  who  was  there  with  her  daughter  and  husband.  There 
was  a  Turkish  Prince,  from  Constantinople,  whose  name 
I  did  not  catch;  Mukhtar  Bey,  a  son  of  Ghazi  Mukhtar, 
the  Turkish  High  Commissioner;  Barons  Oppenheim  and 
de  Hoelzske,  besides  von  Miiller  and  ourselves.  The  dinner 
was  as  good  as  any  I  have  eaten,  and  beautifully  served. 
The  flowers  about  the  table  and  apartment  were  from  von 
Miiller' s  own  garden  and  were  exquisite.  His  salon  is  a 
noble  room,  richly  and  tastefully  furnished.  We  remained 
until  10.35  and  upon  reaching  the  United  States  Legation, 
went  immediately  to  bed. 

Wednesday  —  April  13.  Rode  the  new  (black)  donkey 
this  morning  and  liked  him  very  much,  though  his  gait 
is  an  amble  altogether  and  does  not  give  me  enough  exer- 
cise. Tuck  came  in  about  11.30,  took  luncheon,  and  re- 
mained until  3.30.  Drove  in  the  afternoon,  with  Louise, 
almost  out  to  the  Ostrich  Farm.  Dined  at  home,  read  the 
newspapers  in  the  evening,  and  went  to  bed  about  eleven 
o'clock.  Delightful  weather,  just  cool  enough. 

Thursday  —  April  14.  Out  early  on  my  donkey.  He 
is  too  "easy"  and  does  not  give  me  enough  exercise,  but 
he  is  a  cheerful  little  fellow  and  I  like  him  very  much. 
Had  him  brought  back  to  the  Agency  at  9,30,  and  Louise 
rode  him  around  the  garden  for  fifteen  minutes  or  so. 
Made  a  visit  to  Tugini,  the  Italian  Minister.  Afterwards 


258  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

went  to  Lord  Cromer's,  but  found  that  he  was  at  Alex- 
andria. After  luncheon  the  interpreters  for  the  Moors 
who  have  the  large  sum  of  money  in  New  York  which 
they  wish  me  to  collect,  came  in  to  meet  the  Moors  them- 
selves, and  though  we  waited  for  them  until  after  four, 
they  did  not  put  in  an  appearance.  Tired  of  waiting, 
both  Watts  and  I  left  the  office,  I  to  drive  with  Louise. 
Dined  and  passed  the  evening  at  home. 

Friday  —  April  15.  Again  out  early,  and  the  donkey 
not  being  at  the  door  I  walked  to  the  stable,  where  I 
found  Jack  just  about  to  start. 

I  met  Robertson  on  the  road  and  got  confirmation 
from  him  of  the  administration  of  the  railway  order  for 
ten  thousand  tons  of  coal,  which  accordingly  I  had 
Watts  transmit  to  Berwind.  During  the  day  had  a  return 
message  from  the  latter  that  it  was  impossible  to  charter 
vessels,  due  probably  to  the  war  excitement,  so  the  sale 
looks  as  if  it  would  fall  through. 

Had  an  early  luncheon.  Afterwards  with  Judge  and 
Mrs.  Tuck,  and  Miss  Tuck,  I  went  down  to  see  the  Bar- 
rage by  the  1.30  train,  returning  to  Cairo  at  6.10.  Was 
very  much  interested  in  the  stupendous  and  important 
work.  Dined  and  spent  the  evening  at  home.  Watts  and 
his  wife  and  Turnure  came  in  during  the  evening.  To  bed 
at  eleven  o'clock.  Being  mail  day,  I  wrote  a  number  of 
letters  to  America. 

Saturday  —  April  16.  A  long  and  early  ride  on  the 
donkey  this  morning  —  not  only  to  the  Sporting  Club  and 
around  its  course,  but,  going  out  by  the  entrance  near  the 
Grand  Stand,  I  continued  around  the  Island  to  the  Eng- 


THE  SPANISH  WAR  259 

lish  Bridge  and  came  back  that  way;  was  out  about  an 
hour  and  ten  minutes.  At  9.30  I  took  Jack  and  went  to 
Lord  Cromer's,  with  whom  I  had  a  pleasant  interview. 
We  talked  mostly  of  the  threatened  war  with  Spain.  His 
sympathies,  of  course,  he  said,  were  with  the  United 
States,  as  would  be  those  of  Great  Britain;  but  he  claimed 
that  those  of  the  Continent  were  and  would  continue  to 
be  with  Spain.  He  said  he  must  confess  that  the  United 
States  was  hard  on  the  Spaniards  in  the  manner  of  exac- 
tions, the  way  they  were  put;  that  Spain  was  proud  and 
brave,  though  poor,  and  while,  perhaps,  willing  to  yield, 
yet  could  not  because  of  her  pride.  He  admitted  the  bad 
government  and  that  the  war  in  Cuba  should  stop;  but 
thought  that  Spain's  concession  of  autonomy  should  satisfy 
the  insurgents.  When  asked  what  was  to  be  done  if  the 
insurgents  would  neither  accept  an  armistice  nor  autonomy, 
and  unless  the  United  States  tried  to  put  a  stop  to  the  war, 
the  misery  and  suffering,  the  starvation  and  disease jnust 
continue,  as  well  as  the  material  loss  to  property,  he  had 
no  remedy,  except  force  —  and  that  by  the  United  States. 
Nothing  doing  in  the  office  all  day.  Louise  went  to  say 
"adieu"  to  the  Khediveh  and  Khediveh  mere.  I  remained 
and  read  "Egypt  in  the  Nineteenth  Century,"  by  Morti- 
mer. A  very  interesting  book,  especially  treating  of  Me- 
hemet  Ali,  the  founder  of  the  present  Khedivial  dynasty. 
Dined  and  spent  the  evening  at  home. 

Sunday  —  April  17.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual,  taking  the 
same  longer  ride  as  yesterday.  Watts  came  in  and  sat  a 
little  while.  After  luncheon,  about  four  o'clock,  Lord 
Cromer  dropped  in,  and  after  he  had  gone,  Louise  and 
I  were  driven  to  the  Zoological  Gardens,  where  we  met 


260  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Lord  Cromer  and  Sir  Francis  Grenfell,  who  joined  us. 
The  latter  invited  me  to  an  informal  dinner  at  his  house 
for  next  Wednesday.  We  dined  and  spent  the  evening 
alone.  Last  evening  Turnure,  Watts,  and  his  wife  passed 
the  evening  with  us. 

Monday  —  April  18.  "Donkeyed"  same  as  yesterday. 
Went  out  with  my  secretary  and  tried  to  do  some  shop- 
ping; but  all  the  stores  were  closed  on  account  of  to-day 
being  a  general  holiday : "  Smelling  Day,"  as  it  is  familiarly 
called,  because  the  people  go,  almost  universally,  out  to 
the  neighboring  country,  to  "smell  the  flowers,"  —  to 
get  the  fresh  air,  —  with  the  belief  that  if  they  do  so  this 
day,  the  odors  and  the  purity  will  keep  off  disease  the  rest 
of  the  year ! ! ! 

Turnure  came  in  about  eleven  o'clock,  took  luncheon 
and  remained  until  about  3.30.  I  went  with  him  to  the 
Club  to  learn  if  any  telegram  had  been  received  of  war 
news,  and  there  met  Tuck,  who  came  back  to  the  Agency 
and  chatted  until  nearly  five  o'clock.  At  five  o'clock 
started  out  with  Louise  to  make  P.P.C.  calls,  and  for  a 
drive,  but  on  account  of  the  high  wind  and  dust,  soon  re- 
turned to  the  house. 

Tuesday — April  19.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Engaged 
passage  on  the  Bohemia,  the  Austrian-Lloyd  steamer,  for 
Venice,  the  Reina  Margarita  making  her  last  trip  to-day. 
Beginning  to  get  warm,  though  there's  a  good  breeze  still 
from  the  North.  Nothing  of  any  interest  going  on.  Tuck 
dropped  in  during  the  afternoon  and  with  him  and  Watts 
I  went  to  the  Turf  Club  to  get  the  last  telegrams  about 
the  United  States  and  Spain.  Learned  of  the  President's 


DINNER  WITH  ENGLISH  SET  261 

ultimatum  and  realized  that  war  was  inevitable.  Intoler- 
able as  the  situation  has  become,  I  could  not  help  feeling 
that  we  were  paying  too  great  a  price,  and  were  scarcely 
justified  by  humanitarian  reasons  in  risking  the  lives  of 
our  own  people  and  expending  so  much  treasure  for  Cuba. 
Dined  and  passed  the  evening  at  home. 

I 

Wednesday — April  20.  "  Donkey ed"  as  usual.  Had 
a  long  interview  with  the  Moors  about  their  New  York 
claim.  Turnure  came  in  and  remained  to  luncheon.  Went 
to  the  Club  in  the  afternoon,  for  news.  Met  there  Colonel 
Green,  Captain  Montgomery,  and  Major  Wyndham.  In 
the  evening  I  was  the  guest  of  Major-General  Sir  Francis 
Grenfell,  at  his  house  to  dinner,  where  I  sat  down  with 
Lord  Cromer,  Sir  William  Garstin,  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  a 
colonel  who  had  just  come  down  from  the  Sudan,  and 
who  participated  in  the  last  battle  with  the  Dervishes, 
in  which  three  thousand  were  killed,  and  Mahmud  and 
four  thousand  prisoners  taken.  They,  with  Captain  Gren- 
fell,1 nephew  of  the  General,  and  a  member  of  the  Cold 
Stream  Guards,  made  up  the  party.  Sir  Henry  Rawlinson 
came  in  after  dinner.  I  thought  it  was  a  great  compliment 
to  have  been  invited,  so  intimately,  to  dinner  with  this 
exclusively  English  set.  The  dinner  was  fairly  good, 
though  cooked  by  the  General's  under-cook.  We  sat  and 
talked  until  10.30. 

Thursday  —  April  21.  A  cold  that  I  had  caught  was  too 
bad  to  permit  me  to  venture  out  this  morning  and  risk  a 
perspiration  and  an  increase,  especially  as  I  had  had  an 

1  He  and  his  brother  were  killed  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  war  (1914). 
(EDITOR.) 


262  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

audience  arranged  for  me  with  His  Highness,  to  bid  him 
good-bye.  I  wrote  eight  or  ten  letters,  and  then  at  10.15 
was  driven  to  the  Palace. 

The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies,  Hassan  Pasha  Assam, 
with  his  aides,  met  me  and  we  walked  through  the  file  of 
soldiers  who  lined  the  great  hall,  and  who  stood  at  "pre- 
sent arms,"  and  up  the  grand  stairway  to  the  ante-recep- 
tion-room. After  remaining  there  three  or  four  minutes, 
the  Khedive  announced  his  readiness  to  receive  me  and 
I  passed  across  the  hall  and  entered  the  Audience  Room, 
where  I  had  been  so  many  times  before.  His  Highness  met 
me  near  the  door  and  shook  my  hand  most  cordially.  We 
walked  together  to  the  far  side  of  the  room  and  sat  on  a 
sofa  by  the  open  window.  We  talked  on  many  subjects, 
but  more  especially  about  Judge  Batcheller.  He  expressed 
his  surprise  that  the  latter  had  been  sent  to  Egypt,  and 
in  manner  and  speech  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  had 
no  good  opinion  of  him  and  was  sorry  he  had  been  nomi- 
nated by  the  President.  I  told  him  that  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs  had  written  me  to  request  his  nomination. 
Of  that,  he  replied,  he  had  no  knowledge,  and  it  must  have 
been  the  personal  work  of  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali.  He  kept 
me  over  half  an  hour.  I  enjoyed  the  interview  very  much. 

After  leaving  the  Palace  I  was  driven  to  Lord  Cromer's 
and  had  a  talk  with  him  about  Batcheller.  He  also  ex- 
pressed his  surprise  at  the  appointment,  though  he  knew 
nothing  of  him,  but  showed  me  that  he  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  action  of  Boutros  Pasha.  Mr.  Levy,  of  Alexan- 
dria, called  during  the  morning,  and,  with  him,  I  went 
over  my  plans  for  introducing  American  goods  into 
Egypt.  He  remained  until  luncheon  was  announced.  Tuck 
came  in  during  the  afternoon  and  sat  until  nearly  five, 


COMMISSION  ON  MIXED  TRIBUNALS    263 

when  Watts,  with  us,  went  to  the  Club  for  news,  and 
afterwards  took  a  walk  towards  the  bridge.  Dined  and 
passed  the  evening  at  home. 

Friday  —  April  22.  Started  out  on  my  donkey  at  about 
6.55  and  met  Colonel  Green  on  horseback,  just  as  I  was 
mounting.  We  rode  off  together  and  he  took  me  to  the 
other  end  of  the  town  to  see  a  pottery  in  which  he  and 
some  others  were  interested.  The  work  done  was  very  cred- 
itable and  bade  fair  to  be  profitable.  On  return  to  the  office, 
being  mail  day,  wrote  dispatches  and  letters  until  noon. 

Went  to  the  Club  in  the  afternoon,  to  read  the  war  dis- 
patches. The  general  sympathy,  except  with  the  English, 
is  decidedly  in  favor  of  Spain.  Count  de  Montjoie,  who 
made  me  a  visit  in  the  afternoon,  said  that  he  thought 
the  United  States  was  unjust,  and  he  felt  so  strongly  for 
Spain  that  were  he  young  and  unmarried  he  would  enlist 
on  her  side!  I  gave  Jack  a  holiday  to  go  to  the  Barrage, 
so  did  not  drive.  Dined  and  passed  the  evening  at  home. 

Saturday  —  April  23.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual,  starting 
out  before  seven  o'clock.  At  9.45  Judge  Keeley,  my  assist- 
ant on  the  Commission  for  the  consideration  of  the  pro- 
posed changes  in  the  organic  law  of  the  Mixed  Tribunals, 
called  to  go  with  me  to  attend  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Commission,  in  the  Palace  of  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

Keeley  is  a  Virginian;  is  now  judge  in  the  Court  of  Ap- 
peals, the  highest  of  the  Egyptian  courts.  A  man  of  about 
sixty-five,  rather  under  the  average  height,  and  not  stout, 
with  a  round,  high-colored  face,  a  short,  stiff  white  mus- 
tache and  hair  plentifully  mingled  gray  and  black,  the 
gray  greatly  predominating,  with  bright  and  expressive 


264  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

gray  eyes  that  seemed  more  inclined  to  laughter  than  seri- 
ousness. I  was  favorably  impressed  with  him  at  once,  and 
thus  reciprocating  his  hearty  manner,  we  got  on  well  from 
the  first. 

On  arrival  at  the  Palace,  we  found  already  assembled 
most  of  the  delegates  and  their  alternates,  about  thirty, 
all  told;  we  soon  sat  in  the  places  that  had  been  arranged 
for  us  at  the  long  table  in  the  center  of  the  noble  salon. 
Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  with 
Sir  John  Scott  alongside  of  him,  sat  at  one  end  of  the  table. 
In  the  center  of  one  of  the  sides  was  Lord  Gromer,  and  I 
was  placed  at  his  right,  Judge  Keeley  on  my  right.  Imme- 
diately opposite  Lord  Cromer  sat  de  Willebois;  on  his 
right,  his  alternate;  then  Cogordan,  the  French  Minister. 
Boutros  Pasha  opened  the  proceedings  with  a  statement 
of  what  had  brought  us  together,  and  then,  after  a  few 
remarks  by  Sir  John  Scott,  the  Chief  Judicial  Officer  of 
the  State,  and  Cogordan,  the  French  Minister,  Koyander, 
the  Russian  Minister,  and  Lord  Cromer,  a  resolution 
was  passed  that  the  whole  subject  should  be  submitted  to 
our  legal  advisers,  or  assistants,  for  their  consideration, 
and  that  we  adjourn  to  await  their  report. 

I  was  back  at  the  Agency  at  11.15.  A  number  of  the 
Judges  were  presented  to  me  at  the  meeting,  and  some 
of  them,  very  politely,  called  during  the  afternoon.  We 
gave  a  dinner  to  Judge  Keeley  and  Mrs.  Keeley  in  the 
evening,  our  only  guests  otherwise  being  Judge  and  Mrs. 
Tuck  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watts.  The  dinner  was  excellent 
and  our  guests  did  not  leave  until  quite  eleven  o'clock. 
About  ten  o'clock  we  served  tea  and  lemonade.  Both 
Judges  Keeley  and  Tuck  were  very  entertaining,  telling 
lots  of  stories  while  we  smoked  together. 


STUNG  BY  A  HORNET  265 

Sunday  —  April  24.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Sat  about 
all  the  morning  and  read  newspapers,  Wilkie  Collins'  "No 
Name,"  and  talked  to  Louise. 

Had  Turnure  and  Bert  Watts  and  wife  to  luncheon. 
They  stayed  until  about  three  o'clock.  Louise  and  I  drove 
to  the  Zoological  Gardens  at  5.30  and  were  back  home 
at  seven.  Dined  alone  and  went  to  bed  at  ten  o'clock.  I 
was  stung  by  a  big  yellow  striped  hornet  on  the  middle 
finger  of  my  right  hand,  followed  with  enough  pain  and 
swelling.  Fortunately,  we  had  some  ammonia  in  the  house 
and  I  was  able  to  neutralize  the  poison  and  moderate  the 
agony  in  a  short  while.  This  happened  immediately  after 
dinner.  I  picked  up  a  light  chair  to  move  it  to  the  table 
by  the  light  and  must  have  put  my  hand  on  the  hornet. 

Monday  —  April  25.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  The  day 
has  been  entirely  without  incident.  Tuck  came  in  during 
the  morning  and  lunched.  In  the  afternoon  Louise  and 
I  made  P.P.C.  calls,  and  in  the  evening  went  to  the  Coun- 
tess della  Sala's,  where  we  met,  quite  informally,  all  of 
the  Diplomatic  Corps.  Lord  Cromer,  after  Lady  Cromer 
leaves  Cairo,  regularly  dines  and  passes  the  evenings  of 
Monday  at  della  Sala's,  playing  whist.  My  hand  was 
still  badly  swollen,  and  had  been  bound  up  with  bandages 
saturated  with  sugar-of-lead  water.  A  good  deal  of  mer- 
riment was  excited  when  de  Rojas,  the  Spanish  Minis- 
ter, and  I  saluted.  It  was  asked  if  the  wound  was  "first 
blood  for  Spain."  Had  some  strawberries  and  maraschino 
and  found  them  a  delicious  preparation. 

Tuesday  —  April  26.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual,  taking  my 
last  ride  for  the  season.  Tuck  came  in  and  remained  some 


266  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

time.  Louise  and  I  made  more  P.P.C.  visits  and  after- 
wards drove  into  the  Sporting  Club  to  see  the  polo  game. 
Met  Baron  and  Baroness  Malortie  and  some  others. 

Wednesday  —  April  27.  Gave  up  the  donkey  to  begin 
my  packing.  Commenced  at  5.30  and  worked  hard  until 
9.30.  Found  it  very  difficult  to  know  just  what  to  take 
with  me,  and,  after  dividing,  to  know  where  all  the  things 
were.  I  had  brought  over  such  a  lot  of  useless  apparel, 
and  it,  and  the  clothes  worn  last  winter,  had  become 
mixed;  and  it  gave  me  no  end  of  trouble  to  divide  them. 
Tuck  came  in  about  eleven  o'clock  and  remained  to  lunch- 
eon. My  secretary,  cook,  and  maitre  d'hotel  left  the 
house  about  6.30  A.M.  The  sous-chef  cooked  our  meals  and 
we  were  well  pleased  with  him,  Tuck,  so  much  so,  that  he 
concluded  to  engage  him  for  his  own  house.  We  invited 
Tuck  to  take  dinner  with  us  that  he  might  see  how  he 
prepared  the  more  important  meal.  At  five  o'clock  Tuck 
coming  back  and,  going  with  me,  I  started  out  to  make 
P.P.G.  calls  and  about  finished  my  list.  We  were  fortu- 
nate, in  calling  on  the  Twenty-first  Lancers,  to  find  the 
regiment  engaged  in  a  Gymkhana,  and  were  received  by  a 
number  of  the  officers  and  conducted  to  the  tent,  where 
we  were  given  refreshments.  Tuck  dined  with  us  and 
remained  until  10.15. 

Thursday  —  April  28.  Arose  early  —  unpacked  all  that 
I  had  packed  in  two  trunks  yesterday  and  divided  the 
things  into  three  trunks,  adding  to  the  contents  of  the  third 
other  clothes  that  I  knew  I  should  not  need.  This  trunk 
I  sent  by  express  to  H.  B.  and  Company,  Philadelphia, 
by  Lange  and  Company,  American  Express  Company. 


STARTING  FOR  HOME  267 

Busy  all  the  morning  arranging  papers,  writing  Govern- 
ment dispatches,  one  in  especial  about  the  use  of  "Secre- 
tary" by  Watts,  and  generally  preparing  for  my  long 
absence  from  Cairo.  Turnure  came  in  to  say  good-bye. 
He  leaves  to-morrow  for  Cyprus,  but  expects  to  be  in  Paris 
about  the  14th  of  May.  The  sous-chef  gave  us  a  good 
luncheon  and  dinner. 

Friday — April  29.  Arose  early  and  completed  my  pack- 
ing. Found  I  had  a  lot  to  do  as  is  usual  when  one  is  about 
to  take  a  six  months'  absence,  and  did  it  before  9.30. 
Count  della  Sala  came  in  to  say  good-bye.  The  Khedive 
sent  to  know  at  what  hour  we  should  leave,  and  had  one 
of  his  chamberlains  at  the  station  to  wish  "good-bye"  in 
his  name.  Jack  and  Hannah  broke  down  and  wept!  I 
was  not  surprised  at  Hannah,  but  to  see  Jack  cry  was 
more  than  I  could  stand;  my  good-bye,  too,  was  in  broken 
tones. 

Judge  Tuck  and  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watts,  M.  Co- 
gordan,  the  French  Minister,  and  a  few  others  saw  us  off. 
We  had  given  it  out  that  we  were  going  on  the  30th,  and 
so  intended,  up  to  within  a  day  or  so  of  our  departure;  but 
we  found  the  train  left  Cairo  at  7.30  A.M.  and  did  not  arrive 
in  Alexandria,  due  to  bridges  being  down,  until  nearly  one, 
so  we  concluded  we  would  have  the  five  hours  (usually 
three)  ride  after  sundown,  rather  than  in  the  boiling  heat 
of  the  day.  In  this  way  we  avoided  the  usual  leave-taking 
of  the  crowd  that  swells  the  station  and  loads  the  depart- 
ing with  flowers  that  prove  a  nuisance  on  the  train  until 
thrown  out. 

We  reached  Alexandria  at  9.30.  Mr.  Hewat,  United 
States  Consular  Agent,  with  his  cawass,  met  us  at  the 


PART  H 

I  REMAINED  in  the  United  States  until  September  8, 
1898,  when  I  sailed  in  the  S.S.  Augusta  Victoria  for  Cher- 
bourg. While  at  home  my  time  was  mostly  passed  in 
Philadelphia.  I  made  three  or  four  visits  to  Washington, 
where  I  saw  the  President,  Secretary  of  State,  and  the 
Assistant  Secretaries,  and  made  two  visits  to  Pomfret, 
one  of  five  days,  over  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  one  of  two 
days,  early  in  September. 

On  the  Augusta  Victoria  I  met  General  Draper  and  Mrs. 
Draper,  also  a  Mr.  Butler,  president  of  the  Lawyers' 
Club,  New  York.  The  sea  was  smooth  the  whole  voyage. 
Arrived  at  Cherbourg  at  1  P.M.  on  the  15th;  reached  Paris, 
by  the  3.20  P.M.  train,  at  twelve  midnight,  and  went  to 
the  Hotel  de  Hollande,  where  I  was  expected.  Took  the 
2.30  train  on  the  16th  for  Aix-les-Bains,  to  join  Louise, 
and  arrived  there,  by  of  course  a  delayed  train,  at  12.30 
A.M.  Louise  had  sent  Irene  to  meet  me  at  the  station; 
she,  herself,  having  remained  there  until  near  midnight. 
I  found  her  at  the  Hotel  de  1'Europe  awaiting  me,  with 
a  table  spread  with  a  good  supper.  Louise  was  undergoing 
treatment. 

We  remained  at  Aix  until  September  30,  when  we  took 
train  for  Paris,  remaining  one  night  at  Dijon  (Hotel  de 
Jura)  to  break  the  journey.  Arriving  next  day  at  Paris, 
we  took  our  old  rooms  at  Hotel  de  Hollande.  Betty  was 
at  Hotel  de  1'Empire,  with  Nanny  Toland.1  Of  course 

1  Mrs.  Robert  Toland,  of  Philadelphia. 


BACK  AT  CAIRO  271 

we  saw  a  great  deal  of  each  other,  and  of  course  Louise 
began  at  once  her  exhausting  work  with  Paquin,  Worth, 
Sara  Meyer,  and  all  of  that  kind.  She  was  very  suc- 
cessful, and  by  the  18th  was  ready  to  start  for  Mar- 
seilles. We  arrived  there  by  the  night  train,  in  a  salon-lit, 
at  9.25  on  the  19th  and  went  to  Hotel  du  Louvre  et  de 
Paris.  A  good  hotel  to  avoid  in  future  on  account  of  its 
excessive  charges!  The  next  day  we  went  on  board  the 
P.  &  0.  S.S.  Caledonia  and  were  delighted  to  find  that 
staterooms  95-96  were  so  commodious  and  well  situated. 
The  steamer  sailed  at  4  P.M.  We  had  a  smooth  passage  to 
Port  Said,  where  we  arrived  on  Tuesday,  October  25,  and 
where  we  remained  coaling  and  waiting  until  next  morning 
at  four  o'clock,  for  the  London  mail  from  Brindisi. 

We  made  a  number  of  very  pleasant  acquaintances 
while  on  board  during  the  voyage.  Among  them  were 
General  Sir  William  S.  A.  Lockhart,  Commander-in-Chief 
in  India,  and  Lady  Lockhart;  Lieutenant-General  Sir 
Robert  Hume,  an  old  Crimean  War  veteran,  and  Lady 
Hume;  Brigadier-General  Sir  W.  G.  Nicholson,  Military 
Secretary  of  India;  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hope  and  wife,  of 
the  Army  of  Occupation  in  Egypt;  Mr.  Reginald  Brooke, 
of  London;  and  a  number  of  others,  who  aided  greatly J;o 
make  the  trip  agreeable. 

We  arrived  at  Ismailia  at  2  P.M.  and  found  Andrass, 
one  of  our  janissaries,  awaiting  us.  Took  dinner  at  the 
hotel,  and  then  the  train  for  Cairo  at  7.50,  arriving  there 
at  11.15  P.M.  The  housekeeper  had  the  Agency  all  ready 
for  us.  Fero  met  us  at  the  station  with  the  victoria  and 
pair,  two  sices  running  ahead  and  crying  out  at  the  top 
of  their  voices,  which  awoke  the  echoes  as  they  ran. 


272  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

October  27.  I  did  nothing  all  day  but  superintend  the 
valet  unpack  boxes  and  put  clothes  in  order.  The  chef 
and  maitre  d' hotel  had  not  yet  arrived.  We  got  along 
very  well,  however,  with  the  second  cook  and  marmiton 
in  the  kitchen,  with  Andrass  and  Garras  in  the  dining- 
room.  Watts  is  very  glad  to  have  me  back,  apparently. 
He,  with  Messrs.  Hunter  and  Harvey,  with  Ali,  met  me 
at  the  railroad  station  on  my  arrival.  Louise  very  well. 
Both  to  bed  early;  tired. 

October  28.  Called  on  Prince  Mehemet  Ali,  who  re- 
turned the  call  the  same  day;  also  on  Boutros  Pasha 
Ghali,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Lord  Cromer,  Fakhri 
Pasha,  and  von  Miiller,  German  Minister. 

Lord  Cromer  was  very  friendly.  He  spoke  very  con- 
fidentially about  the  circumstances  connected  with  the 
appearance  here  of  the  Camara  Spanish  fleet  and  its  coal- 
ing, saying  that  M.  Cogordan,  the  French  Minister,  took 
an  active  part  in  the  effort  to  obtain  coal,  favoring  Spain; 
that  his  first  demand  was  that  Port  Said  be  not  consid- 
ered an  Egyptian  port,  but  a  part  of  the  Suez  Canal. 
Lord  Cromer  positively  declined  so  to  consider  it,  or  that 
it  was  different  from  Alexandria.  Then,  Cogordan  said 
that  international  law  permitted  a  supply  of  coal  suffi- 
cient for  each  vessel  to  reach  its  own  nearest  port,  that 
the  neutral  nation  could  not  compel  it  to  go  there;  that 
it  could  steam  fifty  miles  seaward  in  the  direction  of  its 
port  and  then  turn  and  go  where  it  would.  Lord  Cromer 
said  this  was  a  question  that  had  never  been  settled  and 
that  it  was  his  determination  to  make  a  precedent,  based 
on  the  meaning  of  the  regulation  and  of  common  sense; 
that  it  was  monstrous  to  believe  that  a  neutral,  possessing 


COALING  IN  A  NEUTRAL  PORT         273 

a  narrow  channel,  would  not  know  when  a  ship  headed 
east,  and  its  own  harbors  were  nearest  west,  that  the  ship 
was  not  going  to  its  own  nearest  port.  He,  therefore,  de- 
clined to  permit  coal  to  be  supplied  unless  a  written 
agreement  was  given  by  each  ~ship  that  it  would  proceed 
to  Cartagena,  or  other  near-by  Spanish  port.  The  inci- 
dent showed  on  which  side,  really,  French  sympathy  was, 
for  certainly  Cogordan  would  not  have  meddled  so  strongly 
and  persistently  had  he  not  had  advice  from  Paris. 

Friday — October  28.  A  busy  day  at  the  office  with 
dispatches  to  Washington  and  caring  for  a  large  private 
mail.  Drove  in  the  afternoon,  at  five  o'clock,  stopping 
at  the  Sporting  Club.  Nothing  of  any  moment  excepting 
a  visit  of  Lord  Cromer  and  Miss  Baring,  to  Louise. 

Saturday  —  October  29.  Routine  work.  Drove  in  after- 
noon, and  met  a  number  of  acquaintances;  Colonel  Mur- 
ray, Colonel  Wyndham,  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers; 
Colonels  Hope  and  Cooper;  in  fact,  a  dozen  or  more. 

Tuesday  —  November  1.  A  large  mail  from  the  States; 
much  excitement  among  the  English  over  the  Fashoda 
Affair  and  the  British  preparations.  It  looks  like  war; 
but  I  can't  believe  the  French  so  insensible  to  their  true 
interests.  A  war  with  Great  Britain  would,  I  feel  sure, 
result  in  the  loss  of  their  fleet  and  colonies.  Sir  William 
Lockhart,  speaking  to  me  of  hostilities  between  his  coun- 
try and  France,  said:  "If  it  is  to  come,  better  that  it  come 
now.  We  are  fully  prepared  and  France  and  Russia  are 
not.  In  a  few  years  they  will  be  much  stronger;  and  then 
if  there  is  war,  victory,  though  sure,  will  be  more  diffi- 
cult." 


274  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Wednesday  —  November  2.  A  repetition  of  yesterday.  I 
made  official  calls  in  the  morning  and  personal  ones  in 
the  afternoon  and  afterwards  drove  to  the  Sporting  Club, 
where  I  met  Mcllwraith,  the  Judicial  Adviser  to  His  High- 
ness, he  who  succeeded  Sir  John  Scott;  also  Morley  and 
Colonel  Wyndham,  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers.  In  the 
evening  Louise  and  I  read  the  late  "New  York  (Paris) 
Heralds"  and  the  "Literary  Digest"  until  after  eleven 
o'clock. 

Thursday  —  November  3.  To-day  is  the  day  of  the 
Khedive's  reception,  when  he  receives  the  congratula- 
tions of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  the  Army,  the  civil  serv- 
ants, and  the  notables,  "foreign  and  domestic,"  upon 
his  reentry  into  his  capital.  So  at  ten  o'clock,  with  Watts 
alongside  of  me  in  the  victoria,  preceded  by  the  sices  and 
followed  by  another  carriage  in  which  were  Messrs.  Har- 
vey and  Hunter,  we  set  out  for  the  Palace. 

The  streets  were  lined  on  both  sides  with  people  watch- 
ing the  carriages  pass.  Abdin  Square  was  kept  clear  by 
policemen,  in  white  uniforms,  who  stood  from  its  entrance 
to  the  Palace,  about  twenty  feet  apart,  enclosing  a  space 
about  three  hundred  feet  wide.  Mounted  guards  were 
also  present,  and  a  squadron  immediately  about  the  en- 
trance. As  usual,  we  were  met  in  the  grand  entrance  hall 
by  chamberlains,  who  passed  us  through  a  guard  of  sol- 
diers, stationed  on  either  side,  to  the  great  stairway.  This 
we  mounted,  and  were  received  on  each  landing  by  court 
officers,  who  passed  us  on  until  we  reached  the  recep- 
tion-room. There  we  found  most  of  the  Diplomatic 
Corps  and  Consular  Officers  assembled.  I  had  a  chat  with 
Lord  Cromer  and  Chevalier  Tugini,  von  Miiller,  and 


Starting  for  the  Khedive's  Reception 


RECEPTION  BY.  THE  KHEDIVE          275 

Farad jallah  Khan."  Soon  we  were  ushered  into  the  pres- 
ence of  His  Highness,  and  were  motioned  to  seats,  where 
coffee  and  cigarettes  were  served  to  us.  Messrs.  Harvey 
and  Hunter,  who  had  not  been  presented  before  to  His 
Highness,  remained  without,  and  were  presented  by  me 
after  the  audience  to  the  Diplomatic  Corps  terminated. 
The  Khedive  was  very  gracious  to  them.  In  the  after- 
noon Louise  and  I  were  driven  to  Koobeh,  where  the  Khe- 
diveh  mere  received.  We  should  have  started  at  3.30,  but 
a  thunder-shower  prevailed  and  we  were  obliged  to  delay 
until  4.10.  However,  we  arrived  before  the  audience  was 
over,  at  least  twenty  minutes.  The  drive  was  through 
mud  and  water  the  greater  part  of  the  road.  There  is  no 
drainage  anywhere  and  the  rain  lies  where  it  falls  or  flows. 
Hunter  and  Harvey  took  dinner  with  us,  remaining  until 
9.45.  Tired  at  that  hour,  I  hurried  off  to  bed. 

Friday  —  November  4.  Mail  day  and  very  busy  with 
Department  dispatches  and  my  own  private  letters.  Wrote 
the  Secretary  of  my  conversation  with  Lord  Cromer,  re- 
specting the  active  interest  taken  by  the  French  Agent 
in  favor  of  the  Spanish  fleet  when  it  was  coaling  at  Port 
Said.  Louise  and  I  were  driven  down  the  Pyramid  road 
that  she  might  see  "High  Nile,"  the  fields  covered  with 
water.  Made  a  few  visits,  left  cards  on  a  number  of 
people,  notably  on  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  the  Turkish 
High  Commissioner;  Louise,  as  well,  on  his  wife  and 
daughter.  De  Willebois,  the  Dutch  Minister,  Mrs.  Denby 
and  daughter,  Countess  della  Sala,  and  Mrs.  Darrach 
called,  and  were  received,  between  5.30  and  6.30  P.M.  In 
the  evening  quietly  at  home  with  the  magazines. 


276  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Saturday —  November  5.  Bright  weather,  but  still  warm. 
During  the  nights  and  early  mornings  the  thermometer  sel- 
dom falls  below  70°;  during  the  day,  say  from  three  to  five 
o'clock,  it  registers  80°  to  85°.  This  has  been  the  record 
for  the  past  week.  The  air  is  not  so  humid  as  it  was  from 
October  25  to  November  2  or  3.  A  good  breeze  prevails 
generally  all  day  and  night.  Quite  an  unusual  phenome- 
non occurred  on  Thursday  last,  I  heard  to-day.  About 
Zeitoun  the  hail  fell  in  great  quantities,  some  as  large  as 
pigeon's  eggs.  This  morning  I  went  out  with  Louise  to 
buy  furniture  for  Marion's  room  —  that  which  was  for- 
merly occupied  by  my  late  secretary.  The  furniture  there 
had  been  taken  to  make  Mr.  Harvey,  the  new  secretary, 
comfortable,  in  the  third  story.  Returned  a  few  official 
calls.  In  the  afternoon  busy  preparing  a  report  to  the 
Department  on  the  results  of  the  cotton-planting.  The 
whole  crop  is  estimated  not  to  exceed  six  million  centares. 
Had  an  interesting  chat  with  Major  Gordon  on  the  bat- 
tle of  Kerreri  and  the  taking  of  Omdurman. 

Sunday  —  November  6.  Beautiful  day,  though  again 
quite  warm.  Went  to  church  with  Louise,  but  found  it 
quite  uncomfortable  sitting  out  the  service  and  sermon. 
The  Agency  pew,  which  is  the  first  on  the  left-hand  side, 
and  a  little  in  advance  of  Lord  Cromer's,  on  the  right,  is 
shielded  by  the  wall  from  the  air  and  was  without  any 
circulation.  General  and  Lady  Grenfell  were  there,  Lord 
Cromer,  and  the  Chief  of  the  Intelligence  Department, 
to  whom  so  much  was  due  respecting  the  strength  and 
operations  of  the  Dervishes.  Mrs.  Denby  (Laura  Hooper) 
and  daughter  lunched  with  us.  In  the  afternoon  Fero 
was  busy  clipping  the  mares  and  donkeys,  two  of  which 


CHARGE  AGAINST  CONSULAR  AGENT    277 

had  been  sent  down  to  me  by  the  Consular  Agent  at 
Assiut,  at  my  expense,  of  course. 

During  the  evening  I  read  most  interesting  accounts 
of  our  war  with  Spain,  especially  the  criticisms  on  the 
management  of  the  War  Department.  To  bed  about  1 1  P.M. 

Thursday  —  November  10.  Quiet  day.  Dr.  Strang,  of 
the  American  Missions,  and  one  or  two  other  visitors 
came  in  during  the  morning.  Made  up  my  report  on  the 
cotton  crops  and  dispatched  it  to  the  Department.  In 
the  afternoon  Judge  and  Mrs.  Tuck  called.  Louise  drove 
out  with  the  latter,  and  the  Judge  and  I  called  on  Major 
Comfort  and  Crookshank  Pasha.  In  the  evening  Gen- 
eral Miner  and  Watts  and  his  wife  dined  with  us.  They 
remained  until  after  ten. 

Newspaper  Clipping 

Mrs.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison,  wife  of  the  Diplomatic  Agent 
and  Consul-General  for  the  United  States  of  America,  will  resume 
her  reception  days  on  Tuesday,  the  13th  of  December. 

Friday  —  November  11.  Took  my  usual  donkey  ride 
at  7.30  A.M.,  Watts  accompanying  me  on  his  bicycle, 
which  added  to  my  enjoyment  of  the  hour's  excursion. 
During  the  morning  the  son  of  Ali  Murad,  United  States 
Consular  Agent  at  Luxor,  called  and  made  a  serious  charge 
against  the  Consular  Agent  at  Keneh,  claiming  that  he 
had  caused  him  to  lose  £136  in  some  real  estate  transac- 
tions. A  number  of  sworn-to  papers  were  submitted  and 
so  good  a  prima-facie  case  was  made  out  that  I  instructed 
that  a  hearing  should  take  place  to-morrow  at  nine  o'clock, 
when  both  sides  should  be  heard  and  the  truth  deter- 
mined, if  possible.  Remained  indoors  all  the  afternoon, 
until  about  5.30,  when  I  went  to  the  Turf  Club;  there  I 


278  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

met  Chereef  Pasha,  Colonel  Cooper,  Girouard,  Gordon, 
and  a  number  of  others.  In  the  evening  Louise  and  I 
went  to  a  dinner  at  Crookshank  Pasha's  given  to  Major 
Comfort,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Crookshank.  A  good  dinner 
and  pleasant  company.  It  had  begun  to  rain  about  6.30 
and  continued  throughout  the  night.  Streets  in  a  deplor- 
able condition  from  the  pools  of  water  and  mud.  Home 
and  to  bed  before  eleven. 

Saturday  —  November  12.  Steady  rain  all  day.  In  the 
morning  I  heard  the  case  of  Ali  Murad  against  the  Con- 
sular Agent  at  Keneh.  Though  greatly  interested,  I  was 
much  amused  with  the  proceedings. 

First  I  heard  Ali  Murad's  story,  supported  by  sworn 
affidavits;  then,  the  Agent's  defense.  After  he  had  sub- 
mitted his  reply  in  writing,  I  took  up  one  part  —  the  key- 
stone of  his  arch  —  and  cross-questioned  him,  through 
an  interpreter.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  get  a  direct 
answer  from  him.  Such  an  amount  of  guttural  and  hiss- 
ing sounds  as  he  excitedly  uttered  can  only  be  heard,  I  be- 
lieve, from  the  Arab.  At  last,  he  committed  himself  and, 
piece  by  piece,  admitted  that  his  written  defense  was 
untrue  in  that  part  which  had  denied  that  he  himself  had 
received  money  from  Ali  Murad.  When  I  got  that  far, 
I  told  both  parties  that  I  had  heard  enough  and  that  I 
gave  judgment  in  favor  of  Ali  Murad.  Rather  a  summary 
proceeding;  but  the  admissions  of  the  Agent,  during  the 
summer,  to  Watts,  and  his  bad  reputation  as  compared 
with  the  high  esteem  hi  which  Ali  Murad  is  held,  I  think 
warranted  me  in  cutting  short  what  might  have  been 
strung  out  for  days.  In  the  afternoon  Judge  Tuck  came 
in  and  remained  until  dark. 


DISQUIETING  NEWS  279 

Commandant  Marchand,  of  Fashoda  fame,  and  Capi- 
taine  Baratier  called,  with  Lefevre  Portalis's  card  ("pour 
presenter").  They  expected  to  return  to  Fashoda  to- 
morrow and  to  France  by  the  way  of  Abyssinia.  It  was 
a  very  polite  act  to  have  called  on  this  Agency. 

Rather  disquieting  news  received  respecting  Spain's 
urgent  request  for  aid  from  France,  Germany,  and  Russia 
to  prevent  the  United  States  holding  the  Philippine  Is- 
lands. I  am  rather  inclined  to  the  thought  that  Manila 
and  its  Bay  will  answer  all  our  needs  and  that  the  United 
States  may  find  the  whole  group  an  expense  and  encum- 
brance. With  our  immense  undeveloped  home  territory 
what  we  need  is  not  more  land  but  more  people  to  de- 
velop that  which  we  now  possess.  Had  we  an  overflowing 
population  like  that  of  England,  France,  and  Germany, 
we  might  have  need  of  colonies  to  which  our  young  and 
adventurous  people  might  go ;  but  as  it  is,  the  more  thought 
I  give  to  present  conditions,  the  more  serious  the  prob- 
lem seems._  I  hope  its  solution  will  be  for  our  best  interests, 
without  pressure  from  unfriendly  nations,  whose  inter- 
ference may  be  resented  and  influence  an  unwise  deci- 
sion. 

Sunday  —  November  13.  The  rain  of  yesterday  has 
made  many  of  the  streets  impassable  by  mud  and  water, 
the  latter  being  hub  deep  in  low  places,  especially  in  front 
of  the  Continental  Hotel,  the  French  Agency,  and  the 
Ottoman  Bank.  Remained  indoors  all  day  until  5  P.M. 
when  I  went  to  the  Turf  Club.  There  I  met  Major  Gor- 
don, Colonel  Cooper,  and  others.  I  found  Judge  Tuck 
there  and  brought  him,  and  some  others,  back  to  dinner. 
They  remained  until  9.30.  After  they  had  departed  Louise 


280  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

and  I  retired  at  once.    I  returned  Commandant  Mar- 
chand's  and  Capitaine  Baratier's  visit. 

Monday  —  November  14.  Marchand  and  Baratier  left 
Cairo  last  evening  for  Fashoda.  This  morning  broke 
brightly,  and  the  streets  have  begun  to  assume  their  nor- 
mal appearance,  though  the  water  still  lies  in  many  of  the 
gutters  and  low  places.  The  town  authorities  are  pump- 
ing it  into  water  carts  and  emptying  them  into  the  Nile. 
They  also,  on  the  principal  streets,  where  the  sidewalks 
are  not  paved,  are  sprinkling  gravel  generously  to  make 
walking  without  mud  possible.  I  remained  within  doors 
until  4.30  when  I  was  driven  a  round  of  visits.  Caught 
up  on  all  that  had  been  made  by  the  unmarried.  To-mor- 
row I  must  finish  the  married  list.  Lunched  and  dined 
alone.  To  bed  by  9.30,  so  that  Louise  should  not  be  dis- 
turbed. 

Tuesday  —  November  15.  The  Consular  Agent  at  Keneh 
accepted  my  decision  and  paid  over  the  damages  awarded 
to  Ali  Murad,  £136.  Marion  arrived  at  Alexandria  at 
7  A.M.,  and  at  Cairo  at  7.45.  She  had  a  fairly  good  voy- 
age until  the  last  two  days:  ship  (Ava  of  Messagerie)  dirty 
and  food  very  bad.  I  made  a  dozen  or  more  visits  in  the 
afternoon.  Met  Marion  at  the  station.  She  came  under 
the  care  of  Mme.  Baltazzi. 

Wednesday — November  16.  I  remained  indoors  all 
day.  Brewster  Bey  called  and  made  quite  a  visit.  Con- 
tracted with  Hasted  to  enclose  the  large  balcony,  to  be 
done  by  December  1,  under  supervision  of  Favagar,  the 
architect.  We  greatly  need  additional  room. 


MRS.  HARRISON  ILL  281 

Thursday  —  November  17.  Remained  indoors  writing 
dispatches  and  private  letters  until  4.15  P.M.,  when  I  took 
the  victoria  and  made  about  twenty  visits.  Brewster 
Bey  came  in  response  to  my  note  to  him  respecting  the 
present  that  I  had  made  to  the  Khedive,  of  the  picture 
of  the  "Queen  of  the  Harem,"  to  express  the  thanks  of 
His  Highness.  Returned  visits  in  the  afternoon. 

Friday  —  November  18.  Countess  della  Sala  and  a  num- 
ber of  others,  who  had  heard  of  Louise's  illness,  called  to 
make  inquiries.  I  wrote  again  a  number  of  dispatches  to 
Washington,  as  well  as  letters  to  friends. 

Saturday  —  November  19.  Louise,  who  has  had  an  at- 
tack of  dengue  fever,  is  much  improved  this  morning  and 
able  to  be  taken  to  Helouan  by  the  1.15  P.M.  train.  There 
we  arrived  by  the  Rapide  in  half  an  hour  and  found  com- 
fortable rooms  awaiting  us  in  the  Grand  Hotel.  About 
sixty  or  seventy  people  only  were  in  the  house,  which 
is  large  and  imposing,  surrounded  by  gardens  that  are 
not  very  luxuriant  in  tropical  vegetation,  but  give  prom- 
ise to  be.  We  passed  from  the  station  through  a  park  of 
about  four  acres,  well  laid  out  and  with  a  large  music 
pagoda,  around  which  are  tables  and  chairs.  The  band 
plays  every  afternoon.  I  know  no  one  in  the  house.  All 
seem  to  be  either  English  or  Germans,  the  former  pre- 
dominating. To  bed  early. 

Sunday  —  November  20.  Louise  with  a  bad  headache 
this  morning  and  unable  to  get  up  until  noon.  She  looks 
pale  and  emaciated;  took  luncheon  with  Marion  and  me, 
but  ate  only  consomme.  The  English,  as  usual,  monop- 


282  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

olized  the  salon  for  morning  and  afternoon  services.  My 
donkey  having  been  brought  down,  Hannah  on  it  and 
Irene  on  another,  we  had  a  good  ride.  We  have  "Mou- 
ton"  with  us.  To  bed  at  nine  o'clock. 

Friday  —  November  25.  At  Helouan.  Nothing  to  note. 
We  have  made  no  acquaintances  at  the  hotel,  except  that 

of  a  young  lady  —  a  Miss  G ,  who  is  with  an  invalid 

deaf-and-dumb  aunt.  Very  sweet  girl.  Received  accep- 
tances that  have  made  up  my  stag  breakfast  table  of  ten. 
Louise  so  well  she  talks  of  returning  to  Cairo  to-morrow. 

Monday  —  November  28.  Gave  a  breakfast  to-day  to 
Major-General  Sir  Francis  Grenfell,  but  was  most  unfor- 
tunate in  not  having,  to  meet  him,  a  number  of  officers 
of  his  military  family.  Colonels  Cooper  and  Wingate,  who 
were  sick,  Colonel  Murray  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wynd- 
ham,  Gorst  and  Rennell  Rodd,  were  prevented  from  com- 
ing, too;  notwithstanding,  we  had  a  pleasant  company  in 
the  General,  Slatin  Pasha  (he  of  the  "Fire  and  Sword  in 
the  Sudan"),  Lieutenant-Colonel  Hope,  Major  Girouard, 
Judge  Tuck  and  Watts.  The  following  diagram  shows 
the  positions  at  table: 


Tuck  Girouard  Watts 


Rennctl  Rodd  LtCot  Hope 


T.  S.H.  Gertt  Grenfell 


Statin  Pasha 
(Baron  Rudolf  Carl  Slat  in) 


BREAKFAST  TO  GENERAL  GRENFELL   283 

Rodd  failed  me  at  the  last  moment.  We  waited  for  him 
a  half -hour  and  then  went  to  the  table  without  him.  He 
did  not  put  in  an  appearance  at  all,  or  send  any  word.  It 
is  quite  unaccountable.  I  was  very  much  pleased  with 
Slatin  Pasha.  The  General  I  need  not  describe.  Slatin 
is  a  man  of,  I  should  say,  forty-five,  of  medium  height, 
well  built,  has  a  strong,  handsome  face,  swarthy,  and 
with  a  full  black  mustache,  which  he  brushes  cross-wise. 
His  manner  was  easy  and  agreeable  —  that  of  a  man  of 
the  world  who  knew  and  had  confidence  in  himself.  He 
promised  to  send  me  his  latest  photograph.  The  one  I 
have  does  not  do  him  justice.  After  luncheon  we  ad- 
journed to  my  private  office,  where  we  sat  an  hour  or 
more,  over  our  coffee  and  cigars.  I  told  the  "Kape  Hens" 
story  as  illustrative  of  the  late  election  in  New  York, 
where  Tammany  won  in  that  city.  Judge  Tuck,  whose 
photograph  I  attach,  was  very  entertaining  as  usual. 
General  Grenfell  told  me  that  his  Government  fur- 
nished him  with  three  residences  in  Malta,  all  completely 
equipped,  so  that  it  was  really  unnecessary  for  him  to 
carry  any  of  his  furniture  from  here  —  yet  he  was  al- 
lowed £300  for  moving. 

Tuesday  —  November  29.  Nothing  especial  of  note  to 
record  to-day.  Baron  Egeregg,  the  Austrian  Minister, 
called  during  the  morning,  bringing  to  introduce  him  his 
First  Secretary.  He  made  a  visit  of  about  a  half-hour, 
and  for  him,  usually  so  gruff  and  unsympathetic,  was 
very  affable  and  agreeable. 

Wednesday  —  November  30.  Louise  and  I  took  a  don- 
key ride  this  morning  together,  quitting  the  Agency  at 


284  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

nine  o'clock,  taking  with  us  one  of  the  sices,  and  riding 
around  Ghezireh  Island  to  the  Sporting  Club's  second 
entrance,  then  across  the  club  grounds,  past  the  club 
house,  and  out  again  to  the  main  road,  then  by  the  bridge 
home.  We  had  a  delightful  ride,  both  donkeys  pacing, 
trotting,  and  galloping  cheerfully.  In  the  afternoon  we 
called  on  Mrs.  Rennell  Rodd  (her  day),  and  met  Dean 
and  Mrs.  Butcher,  Mme.  de  Hoelzske,  Miss  Baring,  and 
others. 

Thursday  —  December  1.  This  morning  Louise  had  a 
massage  treatment  —  and  though  she  awoke  with  a  head- 
ache, the  "exercise"  was  so  effective  that  it  passed  off 
and  did  not  return  during  the  day.  Nothing  eventful 
occurred.  I  took  my  usual  donkey  ride,  made  a  few  visits 
during  the  afternoon  and  in  the  evening  remained  quietly 
at  home  talking  and  reading.  Gave  our  loge  at  the  opera 
to  Mrs.  Watts. 

Sunday  —  December  4.  Wrote  Christmas  letters  all  the 
morning  and  in  the  afternoon  went  to  the  Zoological  Gar- 
dens, where  I  met  Lord  Cromer,  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  Lady 
Palmer,  Miss  Baring,  Baron  Heidler,  Watts,  and  a  num- 
ber of  others.  Louise  and  Marion  were  with  me.  I  forgot 
to  say  that  we  three  took  tea  with  the  Baltazzis  at  Shep- 
heard's  on  yesterday  afternoon.  Met  Slatin  Pasha  and 
many  others. 

Monday  —  December  5.  To-day  was  an  exceedingly 
interesting  one,  due  to  the  reassembling  of  the  Commis- 
sion, composed  of  the  Diplomatic  Agents,  and  their  alter- 
nates, of  all  the  Powers,  appointed  to  consider  changes 


COMMISSION  ON  MIXED  TRIBUNALS    285 

in  the  organic  law  creating  the  Mixed  Tribunals.  The 
Commission  met  to  hear  and  take  action  on  the  report 
of  its  sub-committee,  composed  of  the  alternates  (law- 
yers), who  had  sat  all  summer,  and  who  had,  with  great 
labor,  attempted  to  simplify  and  better  the  present  con- 
ditions. The  Egyptian  Government  (i.e.,  Great  Britain) 
failed  to  get  what  it  wanted  and  what  I  think  it  should 
have  had,  namely,  the  non-interference  of  the  Powers  — 
by  suits  in  the  Mixed  Courts  —  in  those  matters  purely 
indigenes.  France  and  Russia  strongly  opposed  any 
changes  whatever,  and  no  material  changes  were  made, 
though  consent  was  given  to  some  recommendations  of 
the  sub-committee  which  more  clearly  defined  a  mode  of 
procedure.  Of  my  own  will  and  by  the  advice  of  Judge 
Keeley,  the  United  States  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeal 
at  Alexandria,  who  sat  as  alternate  or  second  delegate, 
I  voted  with  the  Egyptian  Government. 

On  one  vote,  mine  was  the  only  vote  in  favor.  It  seemed 
an  outrage  to  me,  constituted  as  the  Native  Courts  now 
are,  with  European  (British,  mostly)  Judges  sitting,  that 
matters  purely  native,  in  which  no  foreigner  had  an  in- 
terest, should,  either  by  the  will  of  the  Powers  (as  in 
the  case  of  the  Daira  Sanieh),  the  Railways,  or  the 
Municipality  of  Alexandria,  or  by  a  native's  borrowing 
the  name  of  a  foreigner  in  his  action  against  a  native, 
be  taken  away  from  the  Native  Courts.  It  is  true,  the 
reputation  of  those  courts,  under  the  old  condition,  was 
not  good  for  purity  of  administration,  —  the  old  rule  of 
the  heaviest  purse  gaining  the  verdict,  —  and  it  may  be 
that  confidence  is  not  yet  fully  restored  or  gained;  at 
the  same  time,  with  conditions  as  they  now  are  and  the 
Native  Courts  as  now  constituted,  I  cannot  see  why  for- 


286  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

eigners  should  be  allowed  to  meddle  in  suits  purely  na- 
tive, or  where  native  interests  alone  are  concerned.  The 
sitting  lasted  from  10  until  12.45,  when,  after  submitting 
the  matter  of  a  change  in  the  laws  relating  to  fraudulent 
bankruptcy  proceedings  to  a  sub-committee,  the  Commis- 
sion adjourned  to  reassemble  at  the  call  of  the  President. 
In  the  afternoon  I  made  a  number  of  visits,  notably 
to  Rev.  Leverett  Bradley,  of  St.  Luke's  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, and  to  his  wife;  to  Yacub  Artin  Pasha;  and  to 
Caillard  Pasha,  head  of  the  Customs  Department.  In 
the  evening  Judge  and  Mrs.  Tuck  went  to  the  opera  with 
us  to  hear  the  "Huguenots."  They  returned  to  the 
Agency  after  the  opera  was  over.  We  had  a  good  hot 
supper  at  midnight.  They  remained  with  us  all  night. 

Tuesday  —  December  6.  Nothing  of  moment  during 
the  morning,  but  in  the  afternoon  Louise  had  invited 
about  twenty  people  to  take  tea  and  they  came  from 
4.30  to  6.30.  Among  them  were  Count  and  Countess 
de  Montjoie  and  daughter;  the  Baltazzis;  Crookshank 
Pasha's  wife;  the  de  Willebois;  Neghi  Bey  and  Fakhri 
Bey  and  Slatin  Pasha.  Of  the  latter,  I  wish  here  to  note 
a  couple  of  stories  that  I  heard.  As  I  have  already  said, 
he  is  an  exceedingly  handsome  man,  erect,  medium 
height,  thick-set,  graceful  and  sunburnt  from  his  many 
years  in  the  Sudan.  Years  ago  he  had  the  misfortune, 
during  a  skirmish,  to  have  one  of  his  fingers  disabled  by 
a  bullet,  whereupon,  rather  than  bother  about  having  it 
seen  to  and  properly  set,  he  promptly  placed  it  on  the 
nearest  available  rock  and  hacked  it  off  with  his  sword. 
The  reason  he  afterwards  gave  was  that  "It  was  in  the 
way,  it  wobbled"! 


SLATIN  PASHA  287 

He  speaks  English  very  well,  and  is  thought  to  be  agree- 
able and  entertaining.  Of  course,  he  is  a  favorite  with  the 
fair  sex.  He  was  once  asked,  it  is  told  of  him,  while  sit- 
ting beside  a  lady  at  a  dinner  a  year  or  two  ago,  if  there 
was  any  truth  in  the  rumor  that  he  was  thinking  of  getting 
married.  He  set  the  whole  table  in  a  roar  by  immediately 
replying— "Married?  What,  I  ?  No,  No  ! !  I  haf  already 
been  prisoner  fourteen  year  —  nefer,  no  more!" 

We  were  all  tired  enough  when  night  came  to  go  to  bed 
by  ten  o'clock. 

Wednesday  —  December  7.  Busy  all  the  morning  and 
afternoon  writing  my  report  of  the  meeting  of  the  Plen- 
ary Commission  in  the  matter  of  the  Mixed  Tribunals 
and  happily  finished  it  before  6  P.M.  Nothing  to  note  as 
happening.  Dined  at  home. 

Thursday  —  December  8.  As  usual,  on  my  donkey  at 
7.30.  A  heavy  fog  hung  over  the  city  until  after  nine 
o'clock.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  and  Mr.  Lake  called  and 
remained  about  an  hour.  Mr.  Brown  is  treasurer  of  the 
Jekyl  Island  Club  and  we  had  much  in  common  to  talk 
of,  I  having  shot  over  that  island  during  1861-62  when 
in  the  Navy  and  attached  to  the  U.S.S.  Florida. 

At  12.30  we  had  company  to  breakfast.  Dean  Butcher, 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  Bradley,  of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bacon  (Henry,  the  artist),  Crookshank  Pasha  and  Mrs. 
Crookshank,  Mrs.  Baltazzi,  Louise  and  I  made  up  the 
table,  seated  as  shown  on  page  288. 

The  floral  decorations  were  wreaths  of  yellow  chrysan- 
themums. The  affair  passed  off  very  pleasantly.  The  com- 
pany remained  until  about  3  P.M.  Louise  drove  in  the 


288 


DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 


Mrs. 
Crookshank 


Dean 
Butcher 


Crookshank 
Pasha 


Mrs. 
Bacon 


Mr. 
Bradley 


afternoon  with  Marion.  I  remained  at  the  office  dictating 
my  Mixed  Tribunal  report  to  Mr.  Harvey.  To  bed  by 
ten  o'clock. 

Friday  —  December  9.  Had  a  long  interview  with  Mr. 
Levy,  of  Levy,  Cuzger  and  Company,  on  the  subject  of 
an  Agency  for  United  States  manufacturers.  Am  hope- 
ful that  something  will  come  of  it.  Nothing  of  moment 
otherwise,  during  the  day,  which  was  one  for  home  letters 
to  be  written  and  they  kept  me  busy  until  5  P.M.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Trevethick  called  about  the  Native  Hospital  to  ask 
Louise  and  me  to  aid  them  in  preparing  the  circular  for 
distribution  with  the  object  of  collecting  funds  from 
tourists,  etc.  To  bed  at  ten  o'clock. 

Saturday  —  December  10.  Donkey  ride,  as  usual,  at 
7.10.  The  morning  was  fresh  and  bright.  No  fog,  no 
mist  even,  hanging  over  the  river.  Temperature  at  seven 
o'clock,  60°.  It  bids  fair  to  be  warm  during  the  day.  In 
fact,  the  temperature  did  rise  to  72°.  About  eleven  o'clock 
it  clouded  over  and  the  air,  now  blowing  from  the  south, 
seemed  charged  with  moisture  and  rain  appeared  certain 
to  fall  before  night  —  but  in  the  afternoon,  either  the 


A  TALK  WITH  LORD  CROMER         289 

wind  changed  or  the  heavy  clouds  were  blown  away, 
for  before  night  the  skies  were  clear  again. 

In  the  morning  I  made  a  friendly  call  on  Lord  Cromer. 
No  business,  just  to  have  a  chat  with  him.  His  niece, 
Miss  Baring,  had  said  she  knew  he  would  be  glad  to  see 
me  especially;  and  subsequently,  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Plenary  Commission,  he  told  me  that  Miss  Baring  had 
repeated  to  him  her  talk  with  me,  and  that  he  wished  to 
endorse  all  that  she  had  said!  We  talked  of  the  dreary 
and  out-of-order  debate,  and  the  need  to  permit  the 
opposing  delegates  to  "blow  off  their  steam,"  and  the 
lack  of  Parliamentary  proceedings  with  all  other  nation- 
alities, except  the  British  and  Americans. 

Lord  Cromer  told  me  that  it  was  the  purpose  of  the 
Egyptian  Government  to  fix  the  time  of  the  Mixed  Tri- 
bunals to  but  one  year,  instead  of  five,  the  ordinary  ex- 
tended term.  He  added  significantly,  "We  will  then  see 
what  will  be  best  to  be  done."  Should  there  be  a  rupture 
with  France,  and  England  victorious,  —  of  which  I  cannot 
believe  there  can  be  a  shadow  of  a  doubt,  —  the  latter 
would,  in  my  opinion,  immediately  end  the  —  in  some 
respects  —  decidedly  ridiculous  conditions  that  exist  here 
wherein  an  insignificant  Power,  by  means  of  the  "Capitu- 
lations," can  block  progress  and  annoy  a  Government 
whose  aim  is  the  betterment  of  the  country  and  its  people; 
and  one  of  the  first  things  it  will  do  will  be,  if  not  to  abolish 
the  Mixed  Tribunals,  at  least  to  limit  their  powers. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  took  a  drive.  Went  into 
the  grounds  of  the  Sporting  Club  and  saw  part  of  a  game 
of  polo.  To  bed  early. 

Sunday — December  11.   Bright  morning.    Thermome- 


290  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

ter  at  seven  o'clock,  63°.  Highest  during  the  day,  70°. 
Remained  indoors  all  the  morning  and  afternoon,  until 
3.45,  when  I  drove  with  Louise  towards  the  Pyramids. 
Of  course,  I  had  my  donkey  ride  at  7.30  to  8.30  A.M. 
Newspapers  from  home  in  the  evening  occupied  the  time 
until  10.30. 

Monday  —  December  12.  Rode  donkey.  Thermometer 
at  seven  o'clock,  60°,  and  weather,  thick  fog.  Complaint 
was  made  this  morning  against  a  woman,  an  American 
citizen,  named  Carre,  by  the  proprietor  of  a  pension, 
which  may  entail  a  criminal  trial  and  imprisonment.  I 
had  her  brought  to  the  Agency  and  cautioned  her. 

Prince  Mehemet  Ali  called  about  three  o'clock.  I  think 
the  object  of  his  visit  was  to  get  information  to  communi- 
cate to  His  Highness  the  result  of  the  meetings  of  the 
Plenary  Commission  on  the  Mixed  Tribunals.  I  told 
him  frankly  what  had  been  done,  for  I  knew  the  Khedive 
could  get  all  the  information  from  Cogordan,  and  ex- 
pressed to  him  my  regret  that  the  French  opposed  every 
material  recommendation  of  the  Government.  He  de- 
fended France,  stating  that  the  English  were  back  of  the 
suggestions,  in  order  that  they  might  equip  the  Native 
Courts  with  English  Judges  and  in  that  way  oppress  all 
that  were  opposed  to  British  rule!  It  is  extraordinary 
how  readily  the  Khedivial  party  believe  that  all  that 
England  wants  is  to  govern  in  her  own  interest  and  is  so 
corrupt  that  even  her  courts  of  law,  celebrated  the  world 
over  for  rectitude,  are  to  be  depended  upon  to  work  evil 
to  Egypt. 

While  I  took  no  side  for  the  British,  I  very  plainly  ex- 
pressed my  opinion  that  I  believed  it  in  the  interest  of 


PRINCE  MEHEMET  ALI  291 

His  Highness  that  the  Native  Courts  should  have  exclu- 
sive jurisdiction  of  controversies  that  were  purely  indi- 
genes or  native.  That  the  more  power  given  those  courts, 
the  more  thoroughly  Egyptian  would  the  Government 
be  should  the  British  Occupation  cease.  Now,  the  "Capit- 
ulations" permitted  the  foreign  nations  to  interfere  with 
matters  local,  and  if  they  did  not  give  up  a  part  of  the 
rights,  or  concessions,  that  the  "Capitulations"  accorded, 
foreign  nations  would  continue  to  dictate  in  matters  na- 
tive. Though  he  assented,  he  was  not  convinced,  his  prej- 
udice against  the  British  being  so  great  that  he  believed 
even  temporary  power  was  not  acceptable  to  them. 

We  did  not  go  to  the  opera,  but  sent  our  loge  to  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Bradley.  To-morrow  I  go  to  the  dinner  given 
by  Sir  Francis  Grenfell  to  Lord  Lonsdale. 

Tuesday  —  December  13.  Andrass  and  I,  on  donkeys, 
rode  into  the  bazaar  quarter  to  inquire  about  tents.  The 
two  donkeys  encouraged  each  other  and  the  ride  was> 
by  far,  the  most  pleasant  I  have  had  since  I  owned  them. 
General  Rush  Hawkins  called  during  the  morning  and 
remained  until  lunch  time  — 12.30.  In  the  afternoon, 
from  4  to  6.30,  Louise  had  her  regular  Tuesday  recep- 
tion. About  thirty  people  called,  among  them  Mrs. 
"Johnny"  King,  Countess  della  Sala,  Brewster  Bey  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Baltazzi  and  daughter,  Mrs.  Bradley,  and 
Koyander  (Russian  Agent)  and  wife.  We  were  glad  when 
6.30  came. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  General  GrenfelPs  to  dinner. 
Met  there,  Lord  Lonsdale,  the  well-known  yachtsman 
and  all-round  traveler  and  sportsman;  Sir  Elwin  Palmer; 
General  Lane,  who  has  just  succeeded  General  Hender- 


292  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

son  in  charge  of  the  British  forces  at  Alexandria;  Rogers; 
and  Crookshank  Pasha;  my  Caledonia  friend,  Brooke; 
Guy  St.  Aubyn,  A.D.G.  to  General  Grenfell;  and  Coles 
Pasha.  The  dinner  was  only  fair,  but  the  chambertin  of 
1868  was  superb.  I  greatly  enjoyed  sitting  between  Gren- 
fell and  Lonsdale,  the  latter  being  especially  agreeable. 
He  had  been  to  the  United  States  a  number  of  times  and 
knew  a  goodly  number  of  my  friends  and  acquaintances, 
as  well  as  the  country,  having  visited  almost  all  sections, 
except  the  south.  He  knew  the  Klondike  and  Alaska  re- 
gions well.  I  did  not  quit  until  10.50. 

Wednesday  —  December  14.  Donkey  ride  with  An- 
drass  to  see  about  the  lawn  tent,  which  had  been  set  up 
for  me  in  the  bazaar  to  inspect.  Busy  during  the  morn- 
ing receiving  visitors.  In  the  afternoon  made  visits  and 
went  to  the  Khedivial  Sporting  Club  Races  with  Louise 
and  Marion,  and  in  the  evening  went  to  Shepheard's 
Hotel  with  Marion  (Louise  declined  on  account  of  health), 
to  dine  with  Mrs.  Baltazzi,  of  New  York.  Met  there 
Osberg,  the  Swedish  Agent,  Tigrane  Pasha,  Neghi  and 
Fakhri  Bey.  Dinner  very,  very  slow. 

On  my  return  to  the  Agency  at  10.15  I  found  awaiting 
me  the  photographs  of  Lord  Lonsdale  and  his  castle  home. 
With  these  two  photographs  he  sent  two  of  the  castle, 
and  an  invitation  cordially  inviting  me  to  visit  him  there 
when  I  might  be  in  England. 

Thursday  —  December  15.  A  large  mail  from  home, 
which  kept  me  occupied  all  the  morning.  Made  visits 
in  the  afternoon,  especially  to  Lonsdale,  General  Lane, 
and  Tigrane  Pasha.  We  sent  our  loge  to  Mrs.  Wilcocks 


Lord  Lonsdale 


A  FENCING  EXHIBITION  293 

for  the  evening.   Called  on  Mr.  Bradley,  who  is  sick  at 
Hotel  d'Angleterre. 

Friday  —  December  16.  Took  my  donkey  ride,  but 
had  to  return  on  account  of  the  condition  of  the  black 
donkey,  whose  sides  were  raw  from  the  rubbing  of  the 
girth.  Very  busy  during  the  morning  with  mail  matters 
to  the  United  States.  In  the  afternoon  at  the  Sporting 
Club  Races,  where  I  met  the  Sirdar,  Prince  Mehemet 
Ali,  and  a  number  of  acquaintances.  When  absent  from 
the  office,  Mrs.  Phoebe  A.  Hearst,  of  San  Francisco,  called. 
During  the  evening  Marion  and  I  went  to  see  an  exhi- 
bition of  fencing  on  the  invitation  of  Fakhri  Bey.  St. 
Aubyn,  A.D.C.  to  General  Grenfell,  told  us  that  the  ex- 
hibition was  as  good  as  one  could  see  anywhere.  The  fol- 
lowing was  the  programme : 

CERCLE  D'ESCRIME  EGYPTIEN 

ASSAUT 

du  16  Decembre  1898 

Sous  la  haute  presidence  de 

S.A.  Le  Prince  Mehemet  Ali  Pasha  — 

PROGRAMME 
ire  Partie 

M.  Ely  Musseri  M.  F.  de  Martino 

M.  Fakhri  Bey  M.  M.  Schazr 

M.  Papazian  Bey  M.  Berti 

Docteur  Richer  M.  Granier,  Prevdt 

Marquis  de  Pironti  M.  R.  Chasseaud 

Colonel  Thurneyssen  M.  A.  Trehaki,  epee 

2me  Partie 

M.  R.  Rodd  M.  Papazian  Bey 

Colonel  Wyndham  M.  Berti 

Docteur  Milton  M.  R.  Chasseaud 

Colonel  Thurneyssen  M.  Granier,  Prev6t,  sabre 

M.  Casanova  M.  Salon. 


294  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Saturday  —  December  17.  I  started  on  my  donkey, 
with  Andrass,  at  7.20  this  morning,  going  to  market  to 
provide  for  Monday's  shooting  excursion  with  Watts  and 
Turnure.  Afterwards  we  rode  to  the  railroad  bridge  below 
Boulac,  but  it  not  being  open  for  travel,  except  for  rail- 
road trains,  we  were  obliged  to  take  a  boat  and  be  ferried 
across  with  our  donkeys.  I  did  not  reach  the  Agency  until 
nearly  10  A.M.  Louise  and  Marion  called  on  the  Dean 
Butchers,  and  I  on  the  Bradleys.  Home  during  the  eve- 
ning. Flag  day  for  Russia  to-morrow. 

Sunday  —  December  18.  Home  all  the  morning.  In 
the  afternoon  Louise  and  I  drove  to  the  Zoological  Gar- 
dens, where  we  met  the  Turnures  and  Mrs.  John  King 
and  daughter,  and  Sir  Elwin  Palmer.  While  we  were 
away  from  the  Agency  Lord  Kitchener  called.  We  were 
very  sorry  to  have  missed  him,  as  he  goes  to  Khartum 
on  Tuesday.  Tigrane  Pasha  came  in  and  paid  a  long 
visit.  I  called  on  Koyander,  Russian  Diplomatic  Agent, 
before  12  M.  Was  received  by  him  —  he,  in  full  uniform 
and  decorations  —  at  the  head  of  the  stairway  and  was 
escorted  into  the  drawing-room,  where  I  found  Mme. 
Koyander  and  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  Minister  of  For- 
eign Affairs.  Remained  about  ten  minutes,  until  Baron 
Egeregg  and  suite's  arrival  gave  me  the  opportunity  to 
depart.  Champagne  and  caviar  sandwiches  were  served. 

Monday  —  December  19.  Watts  and  I  started  from  the 
Agency,  having  breakfasted  heartily  at  7.15,  buckwheat 
cakes  being  a  part  of  the  meal,  at  7.30  for  the  railroad 
station  on  our  way  to  Ayat,  to  shoot  ducks  with  Tur- 
nure. Had  good  sport,  although  the  ducks  were  not  of  a 


REVIEW  OF  ENGLISH  TROOPS  295 

variety  to  care  to  eat.  My  donkey  stumbled,  falling 
down  and  thus  throwing  me  over  his  head.  I  was  a  good 
deal  bruised  about  the  shoulders,  the  right  one  sustain- 
ing most  of  the  shock.  Home  by  7  P.M.,  pretty  well  tired 
out. 

Lord  Lonsdale  invited  me  to  dinner  on  the  21st,  and 
sent  me  a  dozen  snipe.  Too  tired  to  go  to  the  opera,  I 
gave  the  box  to  Harvey,  my  secretary. 

Tuesday  —  December  20.  Took  no  donkey  ride  this 
morning.  Watts  and  I  at  10.15  started  for  Abbassieh 
to  see  the  review  of  the  English  troops  by  Sir  Francis 
Grenfell,  and  the  awarding  of  medals,  D.S.O.,  to  four  of 
the  officers  who  had  been  in  the  late  Sudan  campaign, 
and  to  one  of  the  Red  Cross  nurses.  The  day  was  per- 
fect, and  the  great  plain  on  which  the  troops  paraded  was 
fittingly  occupied  by  regiments  of  cavalry,  artillery  — 
heavy  and  light  —  and  infantry,  among  the  latter,  the 
Cameron  Highlanders  in  their  picturesque  kilts.  There 
were  two  bands  —  one  of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers  (Em- 
press of  India's  own),  and  one  of  the  Highlanders,  with 
their  screeching  pipes. 

It  was  a  magnificent  sight.  The  men  marched  well,  and 
when  they  finally  drew  up,  in  a  hollow  square,  and  the 
recipients  of  the  decorations  stepped  forward  and  stood 
to  receive  them  at  the  hands  of  Sir  Francis  Grenfell,  I 
had  a  lump  in  my  throat  and  could  scarce  hold  back  the 
tears.  There  was  quite  a  number  of  carriages  with  spec- 
tators, among  them  Lord  Lonsdale  and  his  wife  (to  whom 
I  was  presented),  Miss  Baring,  Lord  Cromer's  two  sons, 
Mme.  Tugini,  and  others.  We  were  well  placed,  having 
been  put  in  the  center  of  the  reviewing  post,  just  back 


296  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

of  the  Commanding  General.  In  the  afternoon  Louise 
had  her  weekly  reception,  which  was  largely  attended. 
At  home  in  the  evening,  the  last  time  for  many  nights  to 
come.  Before  the  afternoon  reception,  I  went  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  Horticultural  Society's  Exhibition  at  Ghezireh, 
which  was  opened  by  His  Highness.  A  very  creditable 
display. 

Wednesday  —  December  2L  "Donkeyed"  this  morn- 
ing. Received  a  large  mail  from  the  United  States  and 
was  busy  digesting  it  during  the  morning.  Received  a 
number  of  visitors,  notably  Dr.  Halstead  Boyland,  cor- 
respondent of  the  Paris  "New  York  Herald,"  and  an 
intimate  friend  of  Bennett's;  Mr.  Frank  Ellis,  of  Cincin- 
nati, whose  wife  Louise  met  at  Narragansett  Pier;  and 
Mr.  Frank  Jones,  of  Boston,  who  brought  letters  from 
William  Struthers  and  Rudolph  Ellis,  and  who  knew  any 
number  of  Watts's  and  my  friends. 

In  the  afternoon  Louise,  Marion,  and  I  went  to  Lady 
Grenfell's  Garden  Party  at  Ghezireh  Palace  Casino, 
which  was  well  attended  by  all  of  the  notables  and  a  very 
successful  affair.  It  was  her  good-bye  entertainment  be- 
fore going  to  Malta,  on  the  27th  or  30th  inst. 

In  the  evening  I  went  to  von  Miiller's  diplomatic  din- 
ner at  the  Savoy.  I  sat  between  Abani  Pasha,  the  Min- 
ister of  War,  and  de  Hoelzske,  Russian  representative 
on  the  Caisse  de  la  Dette.  Thirty-two  were  at  the  table. 
Immediately  opposite  to  me  was  Prince  Hussein,  and 
next  but  one  to  me,  the  venerable  Riaz  Pasha.  I  had  a 
fairly  good  time,  though  obliged  to  hold  all  conversation 
in  French.  After  the  dinner,  in  the  smoking-room,  I  had 
a  pleasant  chat  with  Prince  Hussein,  Riaz,  and  a  num- 


Review  of  British  Troops 
The  Twenty-first  Lancers 


SOME  NOTABLE  VISITORS  297 

her  of  others,  and  at  the  end  of  the  entertainment  the 
Earl  of  Lonsdale  (who  had  given  a  dinner,  to  which  I 
was  invited  but  had  to  decline),  with  a  number  of  his 
party,  joined  us.  The  Earl  and  I  went  back  to  his  dining- 
room  and  took  a  farewell  cup,  this  time  a  "soft  drink," 
together.  Home  by  eleven  o'clock,  and  tired,  after  a 
very  busy  day. 

Thursday  —  December  22.  Took  my  usual  ride  this 
morning  and  received  a  number  of  visitors  afterwards. 
In  the  afternoon  drove  with  Mr.  Frank  Jones  to  the  Polo 
Grounds  and  to  Ghezireh  Palace  Hotel.  In  the  evening 
Louise  and  I  dined  at  the  Tugini's,  and  met  there  von 
Miiller,  the  German  Minister,  Tigrane  Pasha,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  George  W.  Wurts,1  De  Martino,  and  Miss  Murano. 
The  table  was  beautifully  be-flowered  with  pink  roses. 
The  house,  it  is  well  known,  is  one  of  the  most  elegant  in 
Cairo. 

Friday  —  December  23.  A  bad  attack  of  influenza  kept 
me  in  bed  this  morning,  therefore  no  donkey  ride.  Had 
a  visit  from  Mr.  Sewell,  of  Minnesota,  of  whom  Kuhn 
spoke  in  his  letter.  Sewell  had  been  a  member  of  Con- 
gress and  was  an  intimate  and  colleague  of  Judge  Keeley 
and  Samuel  Randall.  We  had  much  in  common  to  talk 
about. 

Called  on  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter  Palmer  and  General 
Hawkins,  at  Shepheard's,  and  Mr.  Bradley,  at  the  Hotel 
d'Angleterre.  In  the  house  all  the  afternoon  nursing 
my  cold.  In  the  evening  went  to  a  beautiful  dinner  at 

1  Mrs.  Wurts  was  Miss  Henrietta  Tower,  a  sister  of  the  then  United  States 
Ambassador  to  Berlin,  Hon.  Charlemagne  Tower. 


298  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Koyander's,  the  Russian  Minister.  Met  there  Cogordan, 
the  French  Minister;  von  Miiller;  de  Willebois,  the  Dutch 
Minister  and  his  wife;  Count  and  Countess  della  Sala; 
Morley,  and  one  of  the  German  Secretaries.  At  Tugini's 
dinner  last  night,  Heidler  Egeregg,  the  Austrian  Minister, 
was  present. 

Saturday  —  December  24.  Awoke  early  and  took  my 
usual  donkey  ride.  Received  a  number  of  visitors  during 
the  morning.  In  the  afternoon  drove,  and  in  the  evening 
went  to  the  Turf  Club's  farewell  dinner  to  General  Sir 
Francis  Grenfell  given  at  Hotel  Savoy.  I  was  seated  at 
the  table  d'honneur,  next  to  Rennell  Rodd,  who  sat  next 
to  General  Grenfell,  and  acted  as  chairman,  and  greatly 
to  my  surprise  and  regret,  I  was  called  upon  to  "say  a 
few  words."  Only  Rodd,  the  chairman,  the  General,  and 
I  spoke.  I  attach  a  sheet  from  a  note  written  to  me  by 
Baron  Malortie,  who  is  at  the  head  of  the  Press  Bureau, 
which  exaggeratingly  gives  an  account  of  the  manner  in 
which  my  remarks  were  received. 

I  only  hear  just  now  of  your  capital  speech  at  the  Turf  Club  and 
of  the  frantic  enthusiasm!  They  were  on  the  point  of  "chairing" 
you,  so  genuine  was  the  universal  delight  at  the  Anglo-American 
friendship.  I  sincerely  regret  being  unable  to  assist  and  help  to 
"cheer"  you!  Bravo! 

MALORTIE. 

It  is  true,  after  I  sat  down,  there  was  most  enthusiastic 
applause  and  quite  a  number  of  gentlemen  present  came 
up  to  my  seat,  congratulating  me,  warmly  shook  me  by 
the  hand,  while  the  hand-clapping  and  shouting  contin- 
ued for  some  minutes.  I  really  was  greatly  surprised, 
and  of  course  gratified. 


A  CHRISTMAS  DINNER  299 

December  25  —  Christmas  Day! ! I  Louise  and  Marion 
both  gave  me  lovely  presents,  and  I  received  a  most 
affectionate  letter  from  Betty,  with  presents  from  her 
and  others.  We  lunched  at  home,  having  Mr.  Harvey 
with  us.  In  the  afternoon  one  of  the  mares,  "Nellie 
Ely,"  fell  while  we  were  making  visits,  and  broke  the 
pole.  The  pair  would  have  run  away  had  they  not  been 
well  handled  by  Fero,  who  ran  them  into  a  tree.  The  vic- 
toria was  injured  slightly. 

Louise  and  I  went  to  a  Christmas  dinner,  given  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Turnure.  The  excitement  of  her  own  recep- 
tion and  its  fatigue,  coupled  with  the  nervousness  cre- 
ated by  the  knowledge  of  my  afternoon's  accident,  nearly 
prostrated  and  unfitted  Louise  to  go;  but  after  much 
urging  and  encouragement,  she  dressed  and  we  got  off, 
arriving  about  five  minutes  late.  We  found  Prince  Me- 
hemet  Ali  pacing  the  entrance  hall.  He  waited  until 
Louise  had  removed  her  wraps,  and  then  we  all  went 
into  the  drawing-room  together  to  find  assembled  there 
only  the  hostess  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watts.  The  Tucks 
had  been  invited,  but  their  train  was  delayed  and  they 
did  not  appear  until  9.30.  The  host  and  a  guest,  Birch 
Bey,  had  gone  in  the  early  morning  to  Ayat,  to  shoot,  and 
their  train,  too,  was  delayed.  They  did  not  appear  until 
9.15.  When  it  came  to  be  8.45  and  no  one  else  arrived, 
the  Prince  and  we  four  others  went  to  the  table.  No  one 
could  have  told  that  Mrs.  Turnure  was  annoyed,  which 
she  must  have  been.  The  dinner  was  good,  though  not 
exquisite.  They  have  a  cook  from  Sherry's,  New  York. 
I  rather  expected  more  from  him.  Not  home  until  11.15. 

Tuesday  —  December  27.   "Donkeyed"  as  usual.    All 


300  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

of  the  morning  busy  with  correspondence  and  visitors, 
among  them  ex-Minister  Curry.  In  the  afternoon  from 
three  to  five  returning  calls.  It  was  Louise's  reception 
day,  and  the  house  was  crowded,  the  last  visitor  not  leav- 
ing until  7  P.M.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  an  Arab  din- 
ner, given  by  Neghi  Bey,  at  the  Khedivial  Club.  Very 
enjoyable  evening.  We  met  the  Baltazzis,  Mrs.  Mason, 
the  Countess  Montjoie  and  daughter,  Fakhri  Bey,  and 
some  Greek  and  Italian  friends  of  Neghi.  The  pilaf  a  la 
Turque  was  especially  well  made,  and  the  roast  lamb, 
brought  whole  upon  the  table,  with  the  head  placed 
upon  the  top  of  the  dish,  was  a  sight  to  behold  and  as 
to  taste  was  unusually  good.  To  describe  the  Tcherkes- 
sieh,  Bamieh,  and  Konafah  would  puzzle  one  more  ex- 
perienced in  Oriental  dishes  than  I;  no  attempt  will  be 
made  to  recall  their  composition. 

Thursday  — December  29.  "Donkeyed"  at  7.20  A.M. 
Foggy  and  damp  morning.  The  new  donkey  was  brought, 
but  proved  quite  unsatisfactory  —  lazy  and  slow.  Many 
visitors  came  during  the  morning,  including  Dr.  Boyland. 
I  wrote  to  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  for  an  audi- 
ence with  His  Highness,  at  which  to  present  Messrs. 
Curry,  Jones,  Boyland,  and  Littleton,  the  latter  not  yet 
arrived,  and,  in  the  afternoon,  received  notice  that  the 
Khedive  would  receive  us  at  2.30  P.M.  Saturday  the  31st. 
In  the  evening  Watts  and  I  went  to  the  dinner  given  by 
the  Twenty-first  Lancers  (Empress  of  India's  own)  at 
Abbassieh,  where  we  had  a  good  time,  though  very  quiet 
and  not  so  hilarious  as  the  last  one  I  attended  with 
the  same  mess.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Wyndham  presided. 
The  band  played  the  United  States  national  airs  and  the 


AN  INTERESTING  DAY  301 

greatest  cordiality  was  shown  to  us.  We  remained  until 
11.15. 

Saturday  —  December  31.  "Donkeyed"  this  morning. 
To-day  has  been  a  very  interesting  one.  First,  I  started 
out  at  10.15  to  see  Brewster  Bey  at  the  Palace,  to  have 
his  views  —  or  rather  to  learn  those  of  His  Highness  — 
about  the  ball  invitations,  and  next  to  be  driven  to  the 
railroad  station  to  see  Sir  Francis  Grenfell  and  Lady 
Grenfell  off  for  Malta,  via  Suez.  A  squadron  of  cavalry 
and  a  company  of  the  Cameron  Highlanders  had  been 
Sir  Francis's  escort  to  the  station,  and  stood  without 
until  the  train  left.  The  square  about  the  building  was 
thronged  with  the  picturesquely  dressed  peoples  of  many 
lands,  the  turban  and  tarbouche  predominating.  Car- 
riages of  the  pashas,  gold-embroidered  jackets,  silver  scab- 
barded  swords  of  the  Consuls-Generals'  janissaries,  the 
bright  and  startling  red  of  the  ever-beautifully  garbed 
sices,  were  all  present  in  numbers. 

I  met  Louise  and  Marion  at  the  station  and  we  walked 
forward  to  join  the  crowd  which  completely  occupied  the 
platform.  There  were  General  Lane,  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  the  British  forces  at  Alexandria;  Sir  Reginald 
Wingate;  Slatin  Pasha;  all  of  the  Diplomatic  Agents; 
some  of  the  Princes  and  a  host  of  notables,  with  very 
many  ladies,  as  well.  The  saloon  carriage  was  filled  with 
flowers  and  every  demonstration  made  to  prove  the  es- 
teem in  which  the  General  and  his  wife  were  held  by  the 
population. 

At  2.30  I  had  a  special  audience  with  the  Khedive  to 
present  Hon.  Mr.  Curry  (late  United  States  Minister  to 
Spain),  Mr.  Frank  Jones,  of  Boston,  and  Dr.  Boyland, 


302  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

the  last  representing  in  Cairo  the  "New  York  Herald." 
I  drove  Mr.  Gurry  in  the  victoria,  the  sices  preceding. 

The  audience,  in.  its  florid  form,  was  as  I  have  pre- 
viously described  in  these  jottings,  except  that  it  was 
of  much  longer  duration,  and  His  Highness  seemed,  if 
possible,  more  friendly  and  cordial.  He  referred  to  me 
several  times  as  "his  friend,"  "his  dear  friend." 

Mr.  Curry  interested  him  greatly  in  his  description  of  the 
birth  of  the  present  King  of  Spain,  he  having  been  a  wit- 
ness in  the  adjoining  room,  where  there  assembled  the 
Archbishop,  the  high  dignitaries  of  the  Kingdom,  the 
foreign  Ambassadors,  and  Ministers,  etc.  There  was  but 
one  access  and  exit  to  and  from  la  chambre  d'accouche- 
ment;  and  as  soon  as  the  child  was  born,  it  was  placed  on  a 
silver  dish,  covered  lightly  with  down,  or  wool,  and  car- 
ried into  the  chamber  of  the  witnesses,  where  it  was  certi- 
fied to  as  to  sex,  and  so  forth.  Mr.  Curry  said  he  believed 
the  little  fellow  was  the  first  that  had  been  born  a  king  —  a 
curious  and  interesting  circumstance. 

After  the  audience  Marion  and  I  were  driven  to  the 
Sporting  Club,  where  we  saw  "all  the  world"  and  some 
good  racing.  Louise  remained  at  home,  preferring  her 
French  conversation  with  friends.  Busy  during  the 
evening,  arranging  my  lists  for  official  and  social  calls  to- 
morrow. 

Sunday — January  1  — 1899.  No  ride  this  morning, 
which  broke  clear  and  cool.  Thermometer  about  50°  at 
7.30  A.M.  At  10.30,  with  Mr.  Harvey,  I  started  on  my 
round  of  New  Year's  calls  and  kept  at  work  until  12.30; 
again  in  the  afternoon,  this  time  with  Watts,  going  as  far 
as  Prince  Fuad's,  near  Koobeh.  Home  by  5.30  and  to  bed 
early. 


THE  GRENFELL  DINNER  303 

Monday — January  2.  Beautiful  morning.  Thermom- 
eter, at  7.30,  48°.  "Donkeyed"  around  Ghezireh  Island 
as  usual.  Many  visitors,  including  Mr.  James  Neilson, 
who  is  a  relative  of  the  Philadelphia  Alexander  Browns. 

Called  on  Riaz  Pasha  and  had  a  delightful  visit  at  his 
house.  Mr.  Frank  Jones  accompanied  me,  but  did  not 
go  into  the  palace.  Jones  and  four  others  lunched  with  us. 

At  the  office  all  the  afternoon.  In  the  evening  went  to 
the  opera  house  and  remained  two  acts  of  "Pardon." 
Could  n't  hear,  and,  of  course,  did  not  enjoy  the  play. 
Had  given  the  loge  to  Jones,  who  invited  Mrs.  Johnny 
King  and  daughter.  Stopped  at  the  St.  James  on  my  way 
back  to  the  Agency  and  had  some  poor  oysters. 

Tuesday  —  Januarys.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Busy  all 
the  morning  with  visitors,  who  now  are  in  considerable 
force  in  Cairo.  I  forgot  to  say  that  yesterday  I  drove  Mrs. 
Hearst  to  the  Ministry  of  Public  Works  to  see  Sir  William 
Garstin,  where  we  had  a  very  satisfactory  interview.  Mr. 
Pillsbury,  of  Minneapolis,  and  Mr.  Curry  called,  among 
others.  Home  all  the  afternoon  and  evening.  My  atten- 
tion was  called  to  the  following  clipping  from  the  "Lon- 
don Telegraph,"  where  notice  was  given  both  editorially 
and  in  the  telegraphic  column  of  the  Grenfell  dinner. 

"BRITISH  FORCE   IN  EGYPT" 

FAREWELL  DINNER  TO   GENERAL  SIR  F.   W. 

GRENFELL 

Cairo  —  Sunday. 

The  Turf  Club  yesterday  evening  entertained  General  Sir  F.  W. 
Grenfell  at  a  farewell  banquet  at  the  Savoy  Hotel.  The  guests,  who 
numbered  eighty,  included  Mr.  Harrison,  the  American  Consul- 
General,  and  Mr.  Watts,  the  American  Consul. 

Mr.  Rennell  Rodd  in  eloquent  terms  proposed  Sir  F.  W.  Gren- 


304  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

fell's  health.  He  said  that  universal  regret  was  felt  at  the  departure 
of  General  and  Lady  Grenfell,  and  alluded  to  his  great  service  in 
the  formation  of  the  Egyptian  Army  while  Sirdar.  Referring  to  the 
presence  of  the  American  Consul-General,  Mr.  Rodd  spoke  warmly 
of  Anglo-Saxon  friendship. 

Sir  F.  W.  Grenfell,  in  responding,  said  he  regretted  leaving 
Egypt.  He  felt  a  personal  pride  in  the  recent  prowess  of  the  Egyp- 
tian Army  under  Lord  Kitchener,  and  in  the  splendid  services 
which  had  been  rendered  by  officers  formerly  selected  by  him- 
self. He  endorsed  Mr.  Rodd's  sentiments  regarding  Anglo-Saxon 
friendship. 

Mr.  Harrison,  who  was  received  with  immense  enthusiasm, 
made  a  humorous  and  stirring  speech,  in  which  he  alluded  to  the 
blood  relationship  between  the  Americans  and  the  British.  He 
reciprocated  warmly  the  expressions  of  friendship  between  the 
two  Anglo-Saxon  nations. 


Wednesday  —  January  4.  "Donkeyed."  Beautiful  morn- 
ing, clear  and  fresh.  Early  to  see  de  Willebois  about  the 
usages  respecting  invitations  for  the  Khedivial  Ball,  on 
the  10th  inst.  Of  course  the  pressure  on  this  Legation  has 
been  very  great.  Dr.  Boyland  came  in  before  I  started 
and  was  driven  over  with  me.  Had  a  very  satisfactory  in- 
terview and  wrote  to  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies, 
by  de  Willebois  V  advice,  giving  names  for  a  reception  of 
ladies  (American)  by  the  Khediveh  m£re9  on  Saturday 
next,  at  Koobeh. 

After  my  interview  with  de  Willebois,  I  called  on  W.  E. 
Littleton,  who  had  arrived  in  Cairo  the  night  before,  at 
Shepheard's.  Saw  there  Mrs.  Henry  Whelen  and  daugh- 
ter. Littleton  accompanied  me  back  to  the  Agency.  In 
the  evening  went  to  a  dinner  given  by  Countess  Montjoie. 
Met  there  the  German  Minister,  Count  and  Countess 
della  Sala,  Mrs.  Mason,  Prevost,  Miss  Nasmith,  and 
Count  Montjoie. 


THE  KHEDIVE'S  BALL  305 

Thursday  —  January  5.  Took  my  usual  ride  around 
Ghezireh  Island.  Clear  and  fresh,  about  52°  when  I  left 
the  Agency  at  7.30.  Mr.  Joseph  Tilton  Bowen,  of  Chicago, 
formerly  of  South  Manchester,  Connecticut,  a  friend  of  the 
Cheneys,  called.  Of  course,  he  wanted  an  invitation  to 
the  Khedive's  ball.  He  had  letters  to  Tigrane  Pasha  and 
Prince  Djamel,  brother-in-law  of  the  Khedive,  to  both  of 
whom  I  referred  him.  Kept  busy  all  the  morning  and 
afternoon,  receiving  visitors,  among  them  the  Littletons, 
Mrs.  Whelen  and  daughter,  Miss  Townsend,  and  two 
young  gentlemen  who  were  with  them,  and  Mr.  Frederick 
K.  Baker,  treasurer  of  Jekyl  Island  Club.  Having  declined 
a  dinner  for  to-night,  we  all  remained  at  home. 

Friday— January  6.  "Donkeyed."  Quite  cold  at  7.30, 
say  46°,  but  a  beautiful  bright  day.  Mr.  Bacon  called  and 
Mr.  Baker  (Fred),  the  latter  to  ask  me  to  have  Fero 
select  a  donkey  for  him.  Mr.  Murphy,  of  New  York,  con- 
nected with  the  "Mail  and  Express,"  brought  letter  of 
introduction  from  the  Department.  Wants  a  "ticket  for 
the  Khedive's  ball,"  and  after  a  half-hour's  talk,  in  which 
he  tried  to  assure  me  that  he  cared  little  for  it,  parted 
from  me  saying  he  would  like  to  compliment  his  wife  by 
getting  her  a  "ticket"  and  would  give  twenty-five  francs 
if  he  could  get  one ! !  Think  of  it  —  offering  to  pay  five 
dollars  for  a  sovereign's  invitation  to  one  of  his  balls  ! ! 

Saturday  —  January  7.  Rained  hard  in  the  morning, 
but  cleared  before  noon.  Dr.  Garner,  Tuck,  and  Watts 
lunched  with  us.  Louise  was  driven  to  Koobeh  to  present 
about  twenty  American  women:  a  very  entertaining  and 
successful  function.  Dined  at  home,  having  declined  a 
dinner  at  de  Willebois's. 


306  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Sunday — January  8.  Rained  early  this  morning; 
cleared  about  7.30.  I  attended  the  reception  held  by  the 
Khedive  on  the  eighth  anniversary  of  his  accession  to  the 
throne.  Watts,  Hunter,  and  Harvey  went  with  me.  A  mag- 
nificent sight,  the  like  of  which  I  described  last  year. 
Louise  attended  the  reception  held  by  Her  Highness  the 
Khediveh  mere  at  Abdin.  Dined  at  home,  as  hereafter 
stated,  we  giving  a  dinner  for  twelve.  The  guests  were 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turnure;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Patterson;  Miss 
Lewis,  Mrs.  Patterson's  sister;  Mr.  Aspinall,  Count 
OberndorfT;  Marion,  Moja,  and  Mrs.  Chapman.  The 
last  guest  departed  at  eleven  o'clock!  The  food  was,  I 
think,  the  equal  of  any  we  have  had. 

Monday  —  January  9.  "Donkeyed,"  and  during  the 
day  had  an  overpowering  number  of  visitors  for  ball  in- 
vitations. Really  this  has  become  a  nuisance  and  ought 
to  be  put  an  end  to.  It  seems  to  me  most  undignified,  in 
the  first  place,  for  a  United  States  Minister  to  be  impor- 
tuned by  people  who  have  no  claims  whatever  upon  the 
hospitality  of  a  sovereign,  and  in  the  second,  for  the  Min- 
ister to  be  seeking  to  obtain  what  must  be  grudgingly 
given.  Should  I  remain  another  season,  which  is  most 
unlikely,  I  shall  refuse  to  have  anything  to  do  with  such 
matters,  except  only  to  distribute,  as  I  think  best,  any 
invitations  that  may  be  voluntarily  sent  to  me  from  the 
Palace.  In  the  afternoon  Louise,  Marion,  and  I  went  to 
the  Garden  Party  at  Shepheard's,  given  by  Fakhri  Bey, 
Louise  assisting  him  to  receive.  It  was  a  beautiful  and 
successful  affair.  Music  by  the  band  of  the  21st  Lancers 
and  a  generous  "tea"  were  provided.  "All  the  world,"  in- 
cluding English  and  natives,  graced  the  occasion. 


THE  KHEDIVE'S  BALL  307 

Tuesday — January  10.  "Donkeyed"  this  morning,  this 
time  with  Mr.  Harvey,  who  for  the  first  time  put  his  leg 
across  an  animal.  I  never  laughed  more  heartily  in  my  life; 
though  he  sat  the  donkey  fairly  well,  he  did  not  know  how 
to  hold  the  reins,  or  how,  as  he  said,  tto  "steer  him,"  so 
the  ass  took  him  where  he  chose,  turning  up  and  down 
streets  as  we  came  to  them,  running  up  on  sidewalks  and 
generally  using  his  own  sweet  will.  Poor  Harvey  fran- 
tically shouted,  "Whoa!  Whoa!"  and  called  upon  the 
Arabs  for  aid,  in  a  tongue  they  did  not  understand.  With 
much  difficulty  we  reached  the  Nile  Bridge,  where  Har- 
vey prayed  to  go  back  home. 

More  importunities  for  ball  invitations,  during  morning 
and  afternoon.  The  ball  this  evening  without  exception 
was  the  most  brilliant  affair  one  could  conceive  of.  "Mag- 
nificent" is  the  only  word  that  describes  it.  The  rooms  had 
been  especially  decorated  and  furnished  in  anticipation 
of  the  vi^it  of  the  German  Emperor,  and  their  grandeur 
and  beauty  were,  if  possible,  enhanced  by  the  changes  and 
additions.  Gold-laced  chamberlains,  bright  and  many- 
colored  uniforms,  including  the  picturesque  dress  of  the 
Highland  officers,  jeweled  decorations,  and  beribboned 
notables,  combined  with  the  exquisitely  dressed  women, 
whose  diamonds  sparkled  in  the  pervading  light,  were 
on  all  sides,  and  made,  among  the  tropical  plants  that 
abounded  in  some  of  the  wide  passages,  or  in  the  Orien- 
tally decorated  salons,  a  sight  to  be  always  remembered. 

We  were  late  in  arriving,  Louise  having  been  afflicted 
with  a  new  maid  who  knew  nothing,  so  missed  being  re- 
ceived by  His  Highness,  a  gross  piece  of  neglect  on  our 
part,  for  which  he  was  afterwards  very  forgiving,  as  was 
demonstrated  by  a  very  gracious  invitation  to  Louise  and 


308  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

me  to  visit  his  estates  at  Koobeh  and  Matereeh  where  he 
said  he  himself  would  meet  us  and  show  us  about.  Louise 
was  taken  in  to  supper  (which  was  a  cold-cut,  stand-up 
affair,  and  not  comparable  to  those  at  home)  by  Fakhri 
Pasha,  and  I  "gave  the  arm"  to  Mile.  Freida  de  Wille- 
bois.  Home  and  to  bed  by  2  A.M. 

Louise  did  not  receive  this  afternoon,  as  per  notice 
below: 

On  nous  prie  d'annoncer  que  Mme.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison, 
l'6pouse  de  1' agent  diplomatique  et  consul  general  des  fitats-Unis 
d'Amerique,  ne  tiendra  pas  sa  reception  habituelle  mardi  prochain, 
en  raison  de  ce  que  le  bal  du  Khedive  a  lieu  le  soir  du  meme  jour. 

Wednesday  —  January  11.  All  of  us  were  a  little  late 
this  morning,  though  Mr.  Harvey  and  I  got  off  by  7.40 
on  our  donkeys  and  rode  around  Ghezireh  Island.  Re- 
ceived a  number  of  delightful  letters  from  home,  mostly 
written  on,  or  about  Christmas  Day.  Made  visits  alone 
in  the  afternoon,  winding  up  at  the  Turf  Club.  Having 
declined  Lady  Palmer's  dinner,  we  dined  at  home. 

Thursday  —  January  12.  "  Donkey ed"  with  Harvey. 
In  office  all  the  morning  receiving  callers.  In  the  after- 
noon, with  Marion,  went  to  the  Sporting  Club  to  see  the 
scholars  of  the  native  schools  go  through  their  athletic 
sports.  The  exhibition  was  very  amusing  and  creditable. 

In  the  evening  we  had  our  first  Diplomatic  Dinner  since 
our  return  to  Cairo,  at  which  were  present :  M.  and  Mme. 
de  Willebois;  M.  and  Mme.  Koyander;  M.  Cogordan; 
Mirza  Faradjalla  Khan;  M.  Ostberg;  M.  von  Miiller; 
M.  and  Mme.  de  Mohl;  Count  and  Countess  della  Sala; 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curry;  Louise;  and  myself — sixteen  in  all. 


A  DIPLOMATIC  DINNER  309 

The  table  was  laid  in  the  salon  to  accommodate  the  large 
number.  The  dinner  was  good  and  well  served.  The  guests 
departed  about  eleven.  The  guests  were  seated  as  per  the 
accompanying  diagram: 


Mme* 
Koy  ander 

Faradjalla 
Khan 

DC 
Mohl 

Mme* 
Curry 

M. 
Ostberg 

Mmede 
Mohl 

T.S.H. 

M.  de 

Willcbois 

Mme.  de. 

WillcboiS 

Louise 

M.Cogordan 

Count          M. 
della  Sala  Curry 

Von 

Mullcr 

Countess 
della  Sala 

Koy  ander 

Friday  —  January  13.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Quiet 
day  at  the  office  until  Mr.  Hewat  came.  He  and  four 
others  remained  to  luncheon.  Before  Mr.  Hewat  arrived, 
we  had  a  very  important  conference  on  El  Tazzi  claim, 
the  principal  heir,  with  his  interpreter  and  the  uncle  of  our 
dragoman  being  present.  I  turned  over  to  the  heir  all  the 
original  letters  I  had  received  from  Langmuir  and  Nathan 
and  Cardozo.  The  next  conference  with  the  parties  inter- 
ested will  be  on  the  20th.  Marion  went  to  a  dinner  at 
Judge  Alston's.  Louise  and  I  dined  at  home  alone. 

Saturday  —  January  14.  "Donkeyed"  with  Mr.  Har- 
vey. Letter-writing  during  the  morning.  Sent  off  a  long 
dispatch  commenting  on  Lord  Gromer's  speech  at  Khar- 
tum and  expressing  my  views  on  the  kind  of  government 
the  United  States  might  give  our  newly  acquired  territory. 
In  the  afternoon  made  visits  and  pretty  nearly  cleared 
off  my  old  scores — about  thirty  yet  to  make  to  catch 


310  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

up.  After  the  visits  went  to  Shepheard's  Terrace  to  take 
tea  with  Mrs.  Bacon.  Met  the  Currys,  Mme.  Ralli, 
and  Miss  Connelly. 

In  the  evening  to  dinner  at  the  de  Willebois's,  where 
we  met  Sir  Reginald  and  Lady  Wingate,  Ralli  and  wife, 
Ivanhoff  and  wife,  Boutros  and  Fakhri  Pasha.  Dinner 
fair  —  and  host  and  hostess  delightful. 

Sunday  —  January  15.  "Donkeyed"  with  Mr.  Har- 
vey. At  my  desk,  though  Sunday,  before  8.45,  and  busied 
myself  with  letter-writing,  especially  to  Addison  Porter, 
McCammon  and  Mrs.  Patterson,  on  her  request,  respect- 
ing her  nephew,  Neal  Hodges.  At  one  o'clock  went  to 
luncheon  at  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sandwith's,  with  Louise,  and 
there  met  Sir  Alonzo  Money,  Dr.  May,  Sir  William  Gar- 
stin,  and  others.  Louise  had  a  headache  all  day. 

Monday  —  January  16.  "Donkeyed "  with  Mr.  Harvey. 
The  American  woman,  Pauline  Carre,  answered  the  sum- 
mons, and  appeared  at  9.30,  but  no  complaint  having 
been  preferred,  after  a  bit  of  good  advice  and  her  prom- 
ise of  amendment,  I  agreed  to  send  her  to-morrow  to 
Naples,  paying  her  way,  about  eight  pounds.  This  matter 
and  letters  took  up  all  the  morning  and  the  most  of  the 
afternoon.  In  the  evening  we  gave  a  dinner  to  Mrs. 
Henry  Whelen,1  with  the  table  as  shown  on  page  311. 

The  table  was  beautifully  decorated;  and  the  affair 
passed  off  most  satisfactorily.  Judge  Tuck  took  Marion's 
place  and  remained  all  night. 

Tuesday  —  January  17.  "Donkeyed"  with  Mr.  Har- 

1  Now  Mrs.  C.  Hartman  Kuhn,  of  Philadelphia.    (EDITOR.) 


General  Sir  Francis  Reginald  Wingate 
Now  (1917~)  High  Commissioner  of  Egypt,  representing  Great  Britain 


A  DOMESTIC  UPHEAVAL  311 


Mme*  SirAlonzo      Louise      Lt.  Col,          Mme» 

Fabricius          Money  Wyndham    Ivanhoff 


Frank  Jones  Capt.  Dauncy 

list  Lancers 


Mrs.  Judge  Mrs.  Patricias 

Whelen  Tuck  T.  S.H.       Wyndham  Bey 


vey.  Wrote  letters  and  received  visitors  during  both 
morning  and  afternoon,  until  4  P.M.,  when  I  joined  Louise 
in  the  drawing-room  to  receive  callers,  this  being  her 
regular  day  at  home.  About  one  hundred  or  more  came, 
many  of  whom  were  Americans.  I  am  writing  up  this 
journal  on  Saturday,  21st,  so  will  be  brief,  forgetting  all 
details. 

Wednesday  —  January  18.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual. 
Great  excitement.  Read  the  riot  act  to  the  chef,  and, 
having  assembled  all  the  servants  in  my  office,  gave  over 
the  control  to  Hannah,  as  veritable  housekeeper.  Mut- 
terings  of  the  storm  that  I  expect  to  break  to-morrow. 
Lunched  and  dined  at  home,  having  refused  an  invita- 
tion to  Delia  Sala's  dinner. 

Thursday  —  January  19.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Han- 
nah discharged  chef,  who  refused  to  obey  her.  The  maitre 
d' hotel,  Giuseppe,  took  his  conge  because  he  would  not  serve 
under  her.  Great  commotion  belowstairs  before  the  couple 
were  cleared  out  at  3  P.M.  Irene,  who  had  been  dis- 
charged for  grave  misconduct,  returned  and  saw  Marion, 
demanding  insultingly  the  money  to  pay  her  passage 


312  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

back  to  Italy.  Mr.  Harvey  was  called  upon  and  showed 
her  the  door.  Sous-chef  in  charge  and  has  done  well. 
Refused  a  dinner  for  to-night. 

Friday  —  January  20.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  House- 
hold settled  down.  Many  visitors  through  the  morning, 
the  passengers  of  the  Furst  Bismarck  and  Egypt  having 
arrived.  At  one  time  a  dozen  or  more  in  the  office,  some 
having  letters  of  introduction.  I  made  visits  in  the  after- 
noon. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  dinner  at  Sir 
Elwin  and  Lady  Palmer's,  where  we  met  Fabricius  Bey 
and  wife,  Count  "Somebody,"  an  Austrian,  yet  an  Irish 
peer,  and  his  countess  —  a  beautiful  young  woman  with 
a  surprising  and  dazzling  white  neck,  and  a  head  sur- 
mounted with  a  crown  of  brilliants  —  and  a  half-dozen 
others  whose  names  are  of  no  consequence. 

Saturday  —  January  21.  Called  on  the  Sweden  and 
Norway  Agent,  at  Ghezireh  Palace.  His  country's  "flag 
day"  -birthday  of  his  King.  Many  visitors  during  the 
day,  including  Major-General  E.  Talbot,  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  British  forces  in  Egypt;  Giraud  Foster, 
cousin  of  W.  H.  Elliot,  and  others.  Declined  two  din- 
ners for  this  evening  and  we  had  a  restful  one  at  home. 

Sunday  —  January  22.  Am  writing  this  on  the  26th, 
really  not  having  had  time  since  Sunday  to  devote  to 
the  record.  Watts  called  for  me  at  ten  o'clock  and  found 
me  hard  at  work  at  my  desk  trying  to  catch  up  with  my 
accumulated  correspondence.  My  desk  is  a  perfect  sight 
and  seems  to  get  worse  in  its  piles  of  unanswered  letters, 


DONKEY-RIDING  313 

so  that  now  I  am  beginning  to  despair  that  I  shall  ever 
get  them  out  of  the  way  by  the  usual  endorsement, 
"Answered."  Well,  Watts  called,  and  I  let  the  letters 
go,  unable  to  resist  his  invitation  to  drive  to  the  Mena 
House  to  meet  Ned  Gray,  Mitchell,  Frank  Jones,  and 
Ben  Dorr,  of  Boston,  on  Ned  Gray's  invitation  to  lunch 
there  with  them.  We  had  a  delightful  day.  Took  don- 
keys after  luncheon,  Gray  a  camel,  and  rode  out  to  the 
Sphinx  and  around  the  Pyramid  of  Khufu.  Home  by 
5.30,  very  tired.  Refused  a  dinner  at  Mme.  de  Mohl's, 
so  again  dined  at  home,  but  Marion  dined  out,  I  now 
forget  where. 

Monday  —  January  23.  Of  course  I  have  been  using 
my  donkey  every  morning.  To-day  Harvey,  who  rode 
the  Ali  Murad  donkey,  was  frightened  because  he  can- 
tered, and  got  off,  leading  him  back  to  the  Agency.  I 
went  on  alone.  We  had  a  party  to  luncheon,  especially 
for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Littleton;  nine  sat  down,  including 
Mr.  Farman,  who  had  been  Agent  and  Consul-General 
here  from  1876  to  1881,  and  afterwards  a  Judge  of  the 
Mixed  Tribunals.  He  resigned  in  1884.  Others  were 
General  Muir,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Halstead,  Boyland,  and 
Father  Brindle.  The  dinner  was  cooked  by  the  sous- 
e/76/, and  was  excellent.  In  the  afternoon  presented  Mr. 
Farman  to  His  Highness.  We  gave  our  opera  box  to  the 
Tucks  and  remained  at  home. 

Tuesday  —  January  24.  We  had  a  number  of  visitors 
and  a  very  busy  morning  until  I  started  out  with  Mar- 
ion to  see  the  review  of  the  troops  at  Abbassieh,  by  the 
new  Commander-in-Chief,  Major-General  Talbot,  and  the 


314  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

decorating  of  a  gallant  officer  for  meritorious  conduct  in 
the  Sudan.  A  very  beautiful  and  impressive  sight.  Met 
Lady  Talbot,  a  very  pretty  and  agreeable  woman.  Mar- 
ion took  some  camera  snap-shots.  The  afternoon  was 
devoted  to  Louise's  regular  reception.  The  house  was 
crowded  with  visitors  from  4  until  6.30.  Again  we  dined 
at  home,  having  refused  a  dinner. 

Wednesday  —  January  25.  Rode  with  Jack  this  morn- 
ing to  the  bazaars  to  buy  jackets  for  the  sices,  and  had 
the  best  ride  of  the  season,  the  donkeys  going  like  mad. 
Lunched  with  the  Bacons  at  Shepheard's,  and  in  the 
afternoon  went  with  Littleton  to  see  the  races  at  the 
Khedivial  Sporting  Club.  All  the  world  and  his  wife  were 
there.  In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  Mrs.  Rennell 
Rodd's  soiree,  and  Marion  to  a  dinner  at  Watts's. 

Thursday  —  January  26.  "  Donkey ed"  again  with  Jack 
around  Ghezireh  Island.  Busy  receiving  visitors  during 
the  morning,  among  whom  Prince  Mehemet  AH  called 
and  remained  over  a  half-hour.  He  told  me  that  Judge 
Batcheller  had  reported  that  he  had  spoken  to  me  at  the 
Khedive's  Ball  against  my  wearing  my  dress  naval  uni- 
form, that  I  had  no  right  to  do  so,  all  of  which  is  untrue. 
He  did  not  speak  to  me,  and  had  he,  even  to  salute,  I 
should  have  turned  my  back  upon  him,  in  such  contempt 
do  I  hold  him.  In  the  afternoon  I  made  about  twenty 
visits.  Having  declined  a  dinner  at  von  Mliller's,  we 
dined  at  home. 

Friday  — January  27.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack  around 
Ghezireh  Island.  Being  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of 


Major-General  Hon.  Sir  Reginald  Talbot 


A  TUMBLE-DOWN  PALACE  315 

the  German 'Emperor,  I  made  a  formal  visit  to  the  rep- 
resentative of  Germany,  M.  von  Miiller,  Watts  going 
with  me.  Mr.  Farman  called  during  the  morning.  Lunched 
at  home.  In  the  afternoon  Marion  and  I  were  driven 
to  visit  those  curious  people,  Graeff  by  name,  a  father, 
mother,  and  daughter,  who  live  on  the  Nile  in  the  old 
Ghezireh  Palace,  now  back  of  the  prisons  towards  the 
Pyramids.  Such  a  family  —  and  such  a  tumble-down 
place  —  filthy  and  dangerous  to  live  in!  We  had  some 
difficulty  in  finding  the  entrance;  drove  past  it  at  first 
and  then,  by  direction  of  a  mob  of  yelling  Arabs,  turned 
down  a  narrow  street  and  drove  through  a  native  village, 
only  to  turn  back  again.  Such  smells,  such  dirt,  such 
destitution!  The  natives  live  like  beasts  and  are  poorly 
housed  at  that. 

At  last  we  were  shown  the  gateway  and  were  met 
there,  after  knocking,  by  the  daughter,  who  looked  as  if 
she  had  just  risen  from  bed;  her  hair  (not  golden!)  was 
hanging  down  her  back  in  tangled  masses.  She  was  clad 
in  a  gown  of  dirty  colored  calico  and  she  wore  a  wide 
reddish  scarf  about  her  waist.  We  were  received  with 
many  expressions  of  welcome  and  pleasure  and  shown 
through  a  yard  littered  with  all  sorts  of  rubbish,  three 
donkeys  roaming  about  making  friends  with  a  lot  of 
starved-looking  chickens  that  vainly  scratched  for  some 
satisfying  food. 

Following  the  girl,  we  entered  a  vestibule  of  great  size 
and  ascended  a  flight  or  two  of  stone  steps  to  the  first 
floor,  then,  turning  to  the  left,  passed  along  a  wide  hall 
and  entered  a  spacious  room,  which  served  the  double 
purpose  of  a  living  apartment  and  Miss  Graeff  s  studio. 
Up  the  stairs,  with  their  rickety  banisters,  along  the  hall, 


316  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

all  showed  neglect,  dirt,  and  decay;  at  one  time  undoubt- 
edly the  abode  of  a  prince;  at  present  hardly  fit  for  a  cow 
stable.  The  room  that  we  now  entered  was  at  least  fifty 
feet  square,  with  ceiling  over  twenty  feet  high.  Its  walls 
were  hung  with  unframed  copies  of  paintings  from  origi- 
nals in  the  Louvre,  Museum  of  Madrid,  and  Dresden 
galleries.  One  or  two,  or  maybe  three  or  four,  seemed  of 
some  merit,  especially  one  of  the  Murillo's  Madonna, 
with  the  eyes  downcast.  The  furniture  was  of  the  poor- 
est, not  a  piece  that  would  sell  for  five  dollars,  even  the 
old  piano.  But  the  welcome  was  genuine,  sincere,  and  the 
lady  rattled  on  at  a  great  rate  about  her  art,  her  work, 
and  the  prospects  that  were  to  be  realized. 

Soon,  the  mother  entered.  The  description  of  the 
daughter  will  as  well  do  for  her.  As  we  departed,  after 
a  fifteen-minute  call,  and  the  hospitable  offer  of  tea, 
which  was  declined,  we  met  the  old  father,  who  wore  a 
wrapper  and  slippers;  his  vest  was  in  the  last  stage  of 
decay;  collarless,  with  a  frayed  and  very  dirty  shirt  front. 
All  of  them  looked  as  if  they  had  not  had  a  bath  since 
they  had  been  in  Egypt,  which,  I  am  told,  is  twenty  years. 
The  daughter  said  she  left  America  with  her  parents 
when  she  was  two  years  old  —  she  looked  thirty-five  or 
more;  that  they  were  on  their  "way  around  the  world"; 
and,  if  that  be  true,  they  are  making  a  long  stop  in  Cairo ! 
They  had  lived  in  Paris,  Madrid,  and  elsewhere  before 
moving  to  Egypt. 

After  our  visit  we  went  on  invitation  to  take  tea  on 
the  Savoy  Hotel  Terrace  with  Mrs.  Moran  and  daughters. 
In  the  evening  I  enjoyed  a  dinner  at  the  Turf  Club  given 
by  General  Muir,  and  there  met  Mr.  Farman;  Mr.  Har- 
man,  Judicial  Adviser  of  the  Sudan,  just  ordered  to  Khar- 


THE  FRENCH  CHARITY  BALL  317 

turn!  Judge  Royle  and  three  or  four  other  men,  one  of 
whom  was  a  Mr.  Dicely,  correspondent  of  one  of  the 
great  London  dailies. 

After  the  dinner  I  took  Louise  and  Marion  to  the 
French  Charity  Ball  at  the  Grand  Opera  House.  We  had 
Baignoire  No.  3  (No.  3  downstairs),  and  as  guests  had 
invited  Mrs.  Moran  and  daughters,  Dr.  Boyland  and 
daughter.  Quite  a  number  of  men  came  in  during  the 
evening.  Very  amusing  with  ribbons  of  paper  throwing 
and  confetti.  House  beautifully  decorated  and  very  gay. 
All  of  the  best  of  Cairo  society  there  —  the  Khediveh 
mere's  box  occupied,  as  well  as  those  assigned  the  harems 
of  the  princes  and  pashas.  We  left  at  just  about  twelve, 
and  before  the  fun  became  "fast  and  furious"! 

Saturday  —  January  28.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  A 
very  busy  morning  with  many  visitors.  Lunched  at  Col- 
onel Gordon's.  Made  visits  afterwards,  after  going  to 
Shepheard's  Terrace  to  take  tea  with  Mrs.  Bacon.  Re- 
fused two  invitations  to  dinner  to-day.  Dined  quietly 
at  home. 

Sunday  —  Janury  29.  At  my  desk  by  eight  o'clock 
and  cleared  it  partly.  At  10.30  started  with  Watts  to 
take  luncheon  at  the  Mena  House,  upon  invitation  of 
Mr.  Mitchell,  of  Boston.  Had  a  good  time,  riding  a  don- 
key to  the  Sphinx,  and  around  the  Pyramids.  Returned 
to  town  about  five  o'clock.  Declined  a  dinner  at  Coun- 
tess della  Sala's  and  dined  at  home. 

Monday  —  January  30.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  Any 
number  of  visitors  during  the  morning.  Lunched  at 


318  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Ghezireh  Palace,  upon  invitation  of  Mr.  Gunther.  About 
twenty-four  sat  down.  I  took  in  Mrs.  Williams-Jones- 
Parry,  and  sat  between  her  and  Mrs.  Baltazzi.  Judge 
Andrews,  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  New  York,  was  near 
me,  sitting  on  Mrs.  Parry's  right.  A  very  handsome 
affair  altogether.  Afterwards,  Marion  called  for  me  to 
go  to  the  Gymkhana,  where  we  showed  our  poodle,  "Mou- 
ton,"  as  the  "American  Tommy  Atkins."  Got  a  "Very 
Highly  Commended  for  Beauty"  for  him,  which  was  the 
second  award.  In  the  evening  our  dinner  with  sixteen 
covers  came  off;  cooked  by  Santi,  of  the  Esbekieh  Gar- 
dens Restaurant  —  only  fair.  The  guests  were:  Bou- 
tros  Pasha  Ghali;  Fakhri  Pasha;  Sir  Reginald  Wingate 
and  Lady  Wingate;  Sir  Elwin  and  Lady  Palmer;  Baron 
Heidler  Egeregg;  Mr.  and  Miss  Gorst;  M.  and  Mme.  de 
Hoeltzske;  Count  Collender.  I  had  Mme.  de  Hoeltzske 
on  my  right.  Louise  had  Boutros  Pasha.  Though  I  say 
it,  the  dinner  was  very  gay;  and  the  after-smoke,  in  my 
room,  was  exceedingly  pleasant  and  quite  intimate  and 
informal.  I  have  determined,  from  the  experience  had 
with  the  outside  chef,  to  depend  in  future  upon  my  own. 
Only  the  soup,  the  mayonnaise  de  crevettes,  and  the 
artichauts  were  good. 

Tuesday — January  31.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack. 
Drove  over  to  see  Boutros  Pasha  and  Lord  Cromer  anent 
the  prolongation  of  the  powers  of  the  Mixed  Tribunals, 
and  notified  them  of  the  cablegram  I  had  received  from 
Washington  giving  our  Government's  consent.  Had  a 
very  interesting  talk  with  Lord  Cromer.  I  spoke  of  the 
probability  of  my  early  departure  for  home  and  the 
unlikelihood  of  my  return.  He  expressed  great  regret 


TALK  WITH  LORD  CROMER     319 

and  was  very  complimentary  in  all  that  he  said  relating 
to  my  official  and  social  life  here,  especially  complimen- 
tary of  Louise.  He  added  that  he  would  write  to  Sir 
Julian  Pauncefote,  the  British  Ambassador  at  Washing- 
ton, who  was  an  intimate  friend,  to  have  him  say  what 
he  had  said  to  me  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  which  I 
characterized  as  "Mikado  fireworks."  Lunched  and 
dined  at  home,  Louise  having  refused  some  one's  dinner. 
In  the  evening  we  were  to  have  gone  to  a  "dance"  at 
Mrs.  Chapman's;  but  at  nine  o'clock,  too  tired,  or  un- 
willing, we  decided  to  spend  the  evening  at  home  and 
write  our  excuse  to-morrow ! ! 

Wednesday — February  1.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack. 
Drove  to  Lord  Gromer's  respecting  my  probable  going 
away  soon.  Stopped  at  Prince  Mehemet  Ali's  to  obtain 
an  audience  for  Judge  Tuck  and  arranged  for  Friday, 
at  3  P.M.  Lunched  and  dined  at  home,  Louise  having  de- 
clined invitation  to  Major  Gordon's. 

Thursday  —  February  2.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack. 
Many  visitors,  including  Mr.  Jeremiah  Curtin,  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institution.  Lunched  at  home.  Dined  at  Sir 
Eldon  Gorst's,  the  Financial  Adviser  of  the  Government; 
and  afterwards  went  to  Mrs.  Grookshank's  ball  at  the 
Continental. 

Friday — February  3.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack — a 
busy  morning.  Lunched  and  dined  at  home.  In  the  even- 
ing Louise,  Marion,  and  I  went  to  Cinandino's  to  see  a 
play  and  enjoy  some  music.  A  large  gathering  of  all  of 
the  best  people  of  the  diplomatic  and  social  Cairo  life. 
I  sat  next  to  Lady  Palmer.  Beautiful  entertainment. 


320  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Good  supper  afterwards.  Home  by  eleven.  Took  Tuck 
to  see  Prince  Mehemet  All  in  the  afternoon.  Received 
cablegram  just  before  retiring,  granting  permission  to 
visit  United  States  with  sixty  days'  leave. 

Saturday — February  4.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  This 
information  is  becoming  monotonous,  but  having  begun 
to  give  it,  my  effort  now  is  to  see  how  long  I  can  continue 
to  write  it  without  losing  my  mind!  The  photograph 
shown  is  of  an  oil  by  D.  Sani,  which  he  has  just  sent  for 
approval.  The  resemblance,  I  think,  is  fairly  good, 
though  undoubtedly,  there  are  faults  in  the  likeness, 
but  I  am  unable  to  point  them  out  that  he  may  make 
the  necessary  changes.  Have  told  him  to  ship  the  pic- 
ture, framed,  here,  and  hope  it  may  arrive  before  I  leave, 
though  I  doubt  it.  It  looks  now  as  if  I  might  induce 
Louise  to  take  the  Augusta  Victoria  on  the  26th,  for 
Jaffa,  Smyrna,  Athens,  and  Constantinople.  This  morning 
was  passed  without  especial  incident.  Mr.  Getty,  of  Paris, 
was  among  the  visitors. 

I  called  on  Sir  Elwin  Palmer  anent  the  petroleum  con- 
cession to  him,  and  the  result  of  the  interview  was  very 
favorable.  In  the  afternoon  took  tea,  on  Mrs.  Cooke's 
invitation,  on  the  Terrace  of  Shepheard's,  where  I  met 
Pasha  and  Mrs.  Crookshank,  Mr.  and  Miss  Getty,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cotterell,  Mrs.  Bacon,  and  two  or  three  others. 
The  Terrace,  of  course,  was  crowded.  Music  by  the  band 
of  the  Twenty-first  Lancers.  Having  declined  a  dinner 
at  the  Wilcocks's,  we  dined  at  home.  Louise  and  I  worked 
on  a  possible  list  of  those  to  invite  to  our  royal  dance. 
Issued  invitations  to  a  dinner  on  the  12th  to  entertain 
the  Giraud  Fosters. 


Mrs.  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison 
From  the  painting  by  D.  Sani,  Florence 


DINNER  WITH  MRS.  MASON  BEY       321 

Sunday  —  February  5.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  Un- 
pleasant morning  and  day;  high  wind;  clouds  of  dust  and 
the  air  chilly  from  the  pending  rain  that  threatened  at 
any  moment  to  fall,  but  which  controlled  itself  until 
7.30  P.M.  Went  with  Watts  to  the  station  to  see  General 
Muir  off  and  to  bid  him  good-bye. 

The  new  mattre  a" hotel  reported  and  will  commence  his 
service  regularly  to-morrow  morning.  In  the  evening 
Louise  and  I  (Marion  declining)  took  dinner  with  Mrs. 
Mason  Bey,  in  the  reserved  apartments  at  Shepheard's. 
About  thirty  sat  down  to  a  beautifully  decorated  table 
and  to  an  excellent  repast.  I  took  in  Mrs.  Mason,  who 
sat  on  my  right,  Mrs.  Tuck  on  my  left.  Among  the  guests 
were:  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reilly,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  (Forbes-Mor- 
gan) Chapman,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moran,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shields,  Mr.  Gunther,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Boyland.  Did  not 
reach  home  until  after  eleven. 

Monday — February  6.  "  Donkeyed  "alone,  but  returned 
within  half  an  hour  on  account  of  rain.  Reginald  Brooke 
and  four  others  breakfasted  with  us.  In  the  afternoon  I 
went  with  Louise  and  Marion  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Hope's  reception.  There  was  singing  by  Fakolia.  I 
went  to  the  opera  in  the  evening  with  Marion  to  hear 
"Romeo  and  Juliet."  Home  by  11.30. 

Tuesday  —  February  7.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  Visi- 
tors all  the  morning.  Louise's  reception  day  —  to  which 
came  any  number  of  people  —  and  all  of  us  were  tired 
to  death  by  seven  o'clock.  Fortunately,  we  had  declined 
Mrs.  Wilcocks'  dinner,  so  dined  at  home  and  went  to 
bed  early. 


322  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Wednedsay  —  February  8.  "  Donkey ed"  with  Jack. 
Judge  Tuck  at  the  Agency  most  of  the  morning  discuss- 
ing the  Department's  circular  on  the  Mixed  Tribunals. 
In  the  afternoon  at  2.30  I  went  to  the  French  Legation 
to  assist  at  the  Charity  Fair.  I  made  Martini  cocktails  (!) 
for  nearly  three  hours,  and  "took  in"  not  only  about  £17 
($85),  but  a  number  of  people,  the  latter  by  the  addition 
of  a  copious  supply  of  water  towards  the  close  of  my 
supply  of  gin  and  vermouth !  We  were  to  have  dined  at 
Ghezireh  Palace,  with  the  Fosters,  but  towards  night 
received  a  note  from  Mrs.  Foster,  withdrawing  invita- 
tion on  account  of  the  illness  of  her  husband.  Gladly 
dined  at  home  again. 

Thursday  — February  9.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  Did 
routine  work  in  the  office  during  the  morning,  Dr.  Brad- 
ley calling  and  pleasantly  passing  a  half-hour.  In  the 
afternoon,  with  Marion,  made  a  lot  of  visits,  and  after- 
wards went  to  Baron  Oppenheim's  tea.  In  the  evening 
Louise  and  I  dined  at  Baron  Heidler  Egeregg's,  the  Aus- 
trian Minister.  Met  the  Tuginis,  de  Willebois,  Baron 
and  Baroness  Bretschneider,  and  others.  Marion  had  a 
dinner  party  at  the  Agency.  We  sat  up  some  time  after 
returning  home,  Louise  and  Marion  talking  over  the 
evening.  A  funny  story  about  Alex.  Harvey,  Harvey 
Pasha  and  "Djafer"  Fakhri  Bey.  Harvey  asked  Harvey 
Pasha,  "What  is  a  Djafer?"  —  Djafer  being  a  surname. 

Friday  —  February  10.  Although  I  awoke  with  a  head- 
ache, due  to  beginning  my  dinner  last  evening  at  the  Aus- 
trian Minister's,  according  to  the  custom  of  his  country, 
with  a  draught  of  Munich  beer  and  afterwards  mixing 


BAIRAM  323 

the  usual  variety  of  wines,  I  was  up  as  usual  and  on  my 
donkey,  with  Jack,  at  7.30.  Mr.  Bradley  called  during 
the  morning,  as  also  did  Spencer  Penrose,  brother  of 
Boies,  and  his  friend,  Dr.  Robert  N.  Keely.  They  are 
on  their  way  around  the  world.  At  12.30  I  gave  a  break- 
fast of  fourteen  covers  —  served  at  the  round  table. 
The  guests  were  Mr.  Clark,  president  of  the  New  York, 
New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad;  Ghereef  Pasha,  Un- 
der-Secretary  of  State;  Mr.  Seltz;  Mr.  Kirby;  Dr.  Boy- 
land;  Captain  Reginald  Brooke;  Mr.  Rels,  representa- 
tive of  "Reuter";  Mr.  Wilson,  representative  of  London 
"Times;"  Brewster  Bey;  Mr.  Norman,  of  the  "Rough 
Riders;"  Mr.  Moran,  of  Virginia;  Mr.  Shields,  of  Colo- 
rado City;  and  Watts.  We  sat  down  at  12.30  and  the 
last  guest  departed  at  3.10. 

After  the  breakfast  I  went  with  Marion  to  the  Horse 
Show  at  the  Sporting  Club,  returning  at  5.15,  then  with 
Louise  to  Mme.  Pontalis's  reception.  Having  all  these 
matters  in  view,  Louise  had  refused  an  invitation  for 
dinner  to-night,  so  we  restfully  dined  at  home. 

Saturday  —  February  11.  False  alarm  this  morning, 
which  according  to  all  calculations,  should  have  been 
Bairam,  or  the  first  day  of  the  Mussulman  Feast  after 
Ramadan,  the  month  of  fasting;  but  the  "moon  was  not 
seen"  last  night,  so  another  day  must  be  added,  and  the 
Bairam  will  not  begin  until  to-morrow.  I  did  not  ride. 
In  the  afternoon  we  went  to  a  circus  box  party  on  invi- 
tation from  Judge  and  Mrs.  Tuck.  Fairly  good. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  attended  a  musicale  at  the 
de  Willebois's  and  listened  to  some  delightful  music  by 
the  Austrian  quartette,  Hellsmerberger;  also  singing  by 


324  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Mile.  Freida  and  a  Mme.  Fabricius.  A  goodly  company 
was  assembled,  among  them  Prince  Said  Halim;  Lady 
Talbot,  wife  of  the  General-in-Chief;  Mrs.  Rennell  Rodd; 
Countess  della  Sala,  and  others.  A  beautiful  supper,  cold, 
was  served;  but  having  ordered  the  carriage  at  11.15, 
we  did  not  have  time  to  partake  of  it;  instead  ate  bread 
and  cheese  (!)  on  arrival  at  the  Agency.  To  bed  by 
twelve. 

Sunday  —  February  12.  The  great  Mussulman  fete 
day,  the  Bairam,  the  first  day  of  the  month  of  Chawal, 
whatever  that  may  mean.  Bairam,  however,  after  the 
Ramadan,  the  month  of  fasting,  signifies  "Feast."  The 
Mohammedans  fast  one  moon,  twenty-nine  days,  if  the 
moon  be  seen  on  the  29th  day,  the  new  moon;  but  should 
it  be  cloudy  and  no  one  see  the  moon,  then  the  faithful 
must  fast  another  day,  making  thirty  in  all;  and  then, 
whether  the  moon  be  seen  or  not,  the  next  day  is  Bairam. 
The  Mussulmans  give  presents  on  that  day,  as  the  Chris- 
tians do  at  Christmas.  It  is  a  day  of  general  rejoicing. 
Cairo  streets  were  filled  at  an  early  hour  —  the  people 
dressed  in  their  best,  and  especially  the  children  in  the 
gayest  and  gaudiest  of  colors. 

The  Khedive  received  all  day,  as  well  as  the  Khediveh 
rn&re.  The  Khediveh,  expecting  to  become  a  mother,  was 
quietly  reposing  at  Montaza.  The  Diplomatic  Corps  was 
given  an  audience  at  10.30,  where  they  and  the  Consuls 
assembled,  as  usual,  in  the  great  Reception-Room,  and, 
led  by  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  and  his  aides, 
proceeded  to  the  Throne  Room,  where  the  Khedive  met 
them  and  shook  hands  with  each.  And  then,  after  the 
Corps  had  taken  its  place,  standing  around  him,  Lord 


Thomas  Skelton  Harrison 
In  the  uniform  of  a  Lieutenant-Commander,  United  States  Navy 


THE  KHEDIVE'S  RECEPTION  325 

Cromer  advanced  and  made  the  little  congratulatory 
address,  to  which  His  Highness  replied  with  expressions 
of  thanks.  We  all  sat  down,  and,  as  usual,  cigarettes  and 
coffee  were  served.  In  about  five  minutes  the  audience 
was  over,  when  the  Khedive  rose,  walked  to  the  doorway, 
shook  hands  with  each  again,  bidding  adieu. 

The  whole  party  then  proceeded  to  a  reception-room 
below,  where  each  inscribed  his  name  in  a  book  kept  for 
that  purpose.  Then  such  a  scurrying  to  get  each  his 
carriage  and  return  to  his  home  to  change  his  dress  for 
the  customary  visits  to  be  made.  I  give  here  a  photograph 
of  myself  in  the  uniform  I  wore  of  my  navy  grade.  Watts 
and  I  started  out  at  eleven  o'clock  and  worked  hard,  with 
a  short  interruption  for  luncheon,  until  5.30,  Prince 
Hussein  Pasha  being  our  last  call.  The  following  is  the 
list:  First,  at  10.30,  Abdin  Palace,  then  Hassan  Assam 
Pasha,  Said  Bey  Zulsifer,  Choukry  Pasha,  Chafik  Bey, 
Yawer  Bey;  then,  Djemil  Tussun,  Prince  Ibrahim  Hilmi, 
Izzet  Bey,  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  Osman  Bey,  Sahib 
Bey,  sons  of  Mukhtar  Pasha;  Farad j alia  Khan,  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali,  Mazloum  Pasha,  Ahmed  Fuad  Pasha, 
Chereef  Pasha,  Abani  Pasha,  Riaz  Pasha,  Mehemet 
Riaz,  Fakhri  Pasha,  Djafer  Bey  Pasha,  Prince  Ibrahim 
Fuad,  Prince  Said  Halim,  Prince  Hussein,  Shakit  Pasha, 
Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  Nachaat  Pasha.  Poor  Louise, 
too,  made  her  rounds.  In  the  evening  we  gave  a  dinner 
to  fourteen  guests.  The  guests  were:  Baron  and  Baroness 
Acton;  Count  and  Countess  de  Montjoie;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Foster,  of  Lenox  and  New  York;  Mrs.  Mason  Bey;  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Watts;  Miss  Nasmith;  Mr.  Moxley;  Mr. 
Vaughan,  Secretary  of  the  British  Agency.  These,  with 
Louise  and  myself,  made  up  the  fourteen.  The  last  guest 


326  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

departed  at  11.15.  Louise  had  a  headache  all  day  so  that 
Marion,  who  was  invited  to  dinner  by  the  Gettys,  had 
to  remain  at  home  to  take  her  place  should  Louise  be  too 
sick  to  go  to  the  table.  However,  Louise  recovered  in 
time. 

Monday  —  February  13.  "  Donkey ed"  with  Jack.  Had 
many  callers  during  the  morning,  including  Mr.  Almy, 
from  Boston.  Mr.  Tucker  and  his  two  friends,  whose 
names  I  have  forgotten,  took  luncheon  with  us.  In  the 
afternoon  I  made  visits  and  in  the  evening  we  dined  at 
Fabricius  Bey's,  where  we  met  Prince  Mehemet  Ali, 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  Hope,  Mr.  Wilkinson,  Pasha  and  Mrs. 
Crookshank.  Although  invited  to  the  Maskins's  ball  we 
were  both  too  tired  to  go,  so  quite  impolitely  sent  word 
at  the  last  moment,  then  went  home  and  to  bed.  The 
dinner  to-day  was  excellent.  We  passed  a  delightful  eve- 
ning. Captain  Fowle,  too,  was  one  of  the  guests. 

Tuesday  —  February  14.  "Donkeyed"  with  Jack.  The 
usual  routine  work  at  the  office,  with  a  large  mail  from 
America  to  read  and  acknowledge.  This  occupied  all  the 
interval  between  morning  and  afternoon,  except  when 
Watts  and  I  went  for  a  stroll,  stopping  at  Longworth's, 
where  we  met  Penrose  and  Dr.  Keely;  and  at  Shep- 
heard's,  where  we  saw  Esther  Harrison  and  Miss  Gould, 
Frank  Jones,  Mr.  and  Miss  Clark,  and  others. 

In  the  evening  a  large  party  gathered  at  the  Agency 
to  go  to  a  Turkish ,  wedding,  Farad j  alia  Khan,  the 
Persian  Minister  and  his  First  Secretary  escorting.  The 
company  was  made  up  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tucker,  the 
Misses  Tucker,  Mr.  Tucker,  Jr.,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watts, 


DINNER  TO  CAPTAIN  COGHLAN        327 

Marion,  Esther  Harrison,  Miss  Gould,  and  Frank  Jones. 
Instead,  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  concert  and  ball  at 
the  Savoy,  given  by  the  Austrian  Legation.  Home  early. 

Wednesday  —  February  15.  "  Donkey ed"  alone.  After- 
wards, at  10.45  "donkeyed"  again  with  Louise  and 
Marion  halfway  round  Ghezireh.  The  donkeys  were  sent 
to  the  west  side  of  the  Nile  Bridge,  to  which  we  drove  in 
the  victoria,  which  followed  us  throughout  our  ride, 
picking  us  up  at  its  close.  Marion,  with  Louise,  paid 
visits.  I  read  Paris  "New  York  Heralds"  all  the  after- 
noon. Having  declined  a  dinner  at  Shepheard's,  I  re- 
mained at  home  during  the  evening. 

February  16 — Thursday.  "Donkeyed"  with  Louise 
and  Marion  at  10.30,  but  first  at  seven  o'clock  took  a 
ride  alone  in  the  Kasr-el-Dobara  quarter.  I  was  scurry- 
ing around  during  the  morning  to  find  three  or  four  men 
to  dine  with  me,  on  short  notice,  to-morrow  night,  when 
I  give  a  dinner  to  Captain  Coghlan  and  officers  of  the 
U.S.  Cruiser  Raleigh  now  lying  at  Alexandria.  I  succeeded 
in  getting  Sir  Reginald  Wingate,  Rennell  Rodd,  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel Gordon,  and  E.  A.  Harrison.  In  the  after- 
noon, with  Louise,  went  to  the  "at  home"  of  the  Prin- 
cess Naseli,  the  aunt  of  the  Khedive.  In  the  evening  we 
gave  a  small  dinner  to  Esther  Harrison  and  Miss  Gould, 
her  chaperon,  and  afterwards,  with  Mr.  Hunter,  took 
them  to  the  opera. 

Friday  —  February  17.  Mrs.  Bradley  lunched  with  us 
to-day  (Friday),  she  and  the  Reverend  Leverett  Brad- 
ley go  away  to-morrow.  Busy  morning  with  numerous 


328  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

visitors,  especially,  those  needing  passports  viseed.  In 
the  afternoon  I  drove  Watts  to  the  Sporting  Club  to 
witness  the  Military  Tournament  —  and  in  the  evening 
I  gave  the  dinner  to  the  officers  of  the  Raleigh.  Having 
met  Major-General  Talbot,  the  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  British  forces  of  Occupation,  I  invited  him  and  we 
had  the  pleasure  of  his  presence.  The  following  sat 
down  to  one  of  the  best  dinners  I  have  given:  Major- 
General  Talbot,  Captain  Coghlan,  Lieutenant  Winder 
(navigator),  Mr.  Halstead,  Sir  Reginald  Wingate,  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Gordon,  Mr.  Watts,  Judge  Tuck,  Mr.  E.  A. 
Harrison,  Mr.  Chadwick  (ensign),  Mr.  Rodd.  The  table 
was  beautifully  decorated  with  flowers,  the  center  piece 
being  in  the  form  of  a  ship.  After  dinner  we  adjourned 
to  our  usual  smoking-room,  where  we  chatted,  told  stories, 
and  smoked  with  the  usual  accompaniments,  remaining 
until  2.45.  A  notable  evening,  and  a  jolly  good  time  for 
all. 

Many  were  the  accounts  of  the  Manila  (Dewey)  fight, 
and  most  interesting  were  those  told  especially  by  Ad- 
miral Coghlan  and  Winder.  Major-General  Talbot,  Sir 
Reginald  Wingate,  and  Rennell  Rodd,  First  Secretary 
to  the  British  Legation,  were  profuse  in  their  thanks. 
Rodd  said  "Good-night"  and  departed  at  midnight,  but 
returned  within  a  half-hour  and  then  remained  until  the 
end.  As  Coghlan  left  he  told  the  story  of  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee, previously  having  given  me  his  verses  on  the  Kaiser, 
"Me  und  Gott." 

Saturday  —  February  18.  "Donkeyed"  with  Marion 
and  Louise  around  Ghezireh  drive.  Mr.  Clark  called 
and  gave  us  an  hour  of  his  very  pleasant  society;  also 


A  FLOOD  OF  VISITORS  329 

Coghlan  and  Winder.  Made  visits  in  the  afternoon,  and 
afterwards  drove  with  Marion  towards  the  Pyramids. 
Having  declined  a  dinner  at  the  Fosters,  we  dined  at 
home,  and  read  "Hugh  Wynne"  in  the  evening  until 
eleven  o'clock. 

Sunday  —  February  19.  "Donkeyed"  alone  this  morn- 
ing. Wrote  letters  all  the  forenoon,  ten  or  eleven  in  all, 
and  almost  caught  up  to  my  mail.  In  the  afternoon  drove 
with  Louise  and  Marion  to  the  Zoological  Gardens,  and 
afterwards,  on  previous  invitation,  took  tea  with  the 
Grahams  at  their  bungalow,  near  the  Egyptian  Barracks. 
Dined  at  home  in  the  evening  and  read  Paris  "Heralds." 

Monday  —  February  20.  "Donkeyed"  alone;  many 
visitors  as  usual,  especially  tourists  needing  teskaras  for 
Turkish  territory.  Among  them  Mr.  Guthrie,  from  Pitts- 
burgh, and  a  Mr.  Winston,  of  the  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Company.  Colonel  Fitz-George,  son  of  the  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge, called.  Returned  his  visit  in  the  afternoon.  In 
the  evening  went  to  the  Gunther  dinner  at  Shepheard's 
reserve  apartments.  Twenty-four  sat  down  to  the  table — 
mostly  Americans.  Watts  was  invited,  but  withdrew 
at  the  last  moment  (alleging  sickness)  because  his  wife 
had  not  been  invited.  Table  exceedingly  handsome  with 
Bougainvillea  blossoms. 

Tuesday  —  February  21.  "Donkeyed"  alone.  Such  a 
flood  of  visitors  this  morning,  the  result  of  the  arrival 
of  the  Augusta  Victoria  with  her  nearly  four  hundred 
passengers.  It  is  said  that  Shepheard's  turned  off  over 
one  hundred  and  eighty  people.  Mr.  Sewell,  of  Pitts- 


330  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

burgh,  and  Mr.  Pope,  of  Baltimore,  the  former  with  a 
letter  from  G.  Hartman  Kuhn,  and  the  latter  from  Olney 
Norris,  made  long  visits.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Metcalf  and 
Mrs.  Ladenberg,  the  latter  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  Hay, 
Secretary  of  State,  came,  and  many  others. 

In  the  afternoon  I  made  a  number  of  calls;  and  in  the 
evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  dinner  of  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  at  his  own  pal- 
ace. It  was  a  splendid  affair.  After  the  dinner  we  were 
driven  to  General  Talbot's  to  a  most  exclusive  soiree. 
There  were  but  two  hundred  invitations  issued  —  the 
house  will  accommodate  four  to  five  hundred;  and  there 
being  no  "crush"  it  was  most  agreeable.  The  women, 
many  of  them  very  good-looking,  were  most  becomingly 
gowned;  and  the  men,  most  of  them  in  brilliant  uniforms 
with  orders  and  decorations,  did  pleasant  and  full  duty 
as  cavaliers  in  the  dance.  We  were  home  a  little  after 
midnight. 

Washington's  Birthday  —  Wednesday.  "  Donkeyed  "  with 
Jack  and  a  jolly  good  ride  I  had.  My  fellow  felt  so 
fine  and  galloped  so  strongly  that  I  enjoyed  it  immensely. 
Of  course  the  morning  was  mostly  taken  up  with  receiv- 
ing visitors.  Took  luncheon  at  Mrs.  Watts's  and  with 
Louise  met  Mrs.  Hearst  and  others.  We  had  a  reception 
at  the  Legation  in  honor  of  the  day,  this  afternoon,  in- 
stead of  holding  it  as  usual  on  our  Tuesday,  and  had  a 
crowded  house,  notwithstanding  the  musicale  to  which 
we  had  been  invited  at  Mme.  Tugini's,  and  the  races  at 
the  Khedivial  Sporting  Club. 

Louise  somehow  has  caught  a  wretched  cold  —  at 
Watts's,  I  suppose  —  and  complained  of  sore  throat.  I 


FAURE'S  FUNERAL  SERVICES  331 

fear  she  will  be  abed  to-morrow  and  unable  to  go  to  Ost- 
berg's  dinner  at  Ghezireh. 

In  the  evening  read  "Hugh  Wynne"  and  had  a  visit 
from  Dr.  Sproul,  representing  the  Medical  Marine  De- 
partment at  Washington.  Among  not  the  least  of  our 
welcome  visitors  was  Mr.  Clark,  of  the  New  York, 
New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  who  called  with  his 
daughter. 

February  23 — Thursday.  "Donkeyed"  alone.  Busy 
with  routine  work  all  the  morning  until  9.50  (!)  when 
Louise  reminded  me  of  the  funeral  services  to  be  held  at 
the  Catholic  Church  for  the  late  President  of  France, 
M.  Felix  Faure,  at  ten  o'clock.  I  had  forgotten  all  about 
it,  and  was  dressed  in  a  plaid  suit  with  a  gay  cravat ! 
The  carriage  had  not  been  ordered  and  there  was  the 
deuce  to  pay.  Watts  and  I  jumped  into  our  black  coats 
and  high  hats,  and  rushed  to  my  stable,  had  the  horses 
put  to,  and  made  for  the  church.  Andrass  and  Ali  had 
both  been  sent  on  errands;  fortunately  we  picked  up  An- 
drass as  we  passed  the  Agency  on  our  way.  We  were 
about  twenty  minutes  late  and  found  our  places  with 
difficulty,  the  church  being  crowded  and  the  service  in 
full  swing.  All  the  Diplomatic  Corps  were  in  full  uni- 
form, with  orders  and  decorations,  officers  of  the  army  as 
well,  and  citizens  of  note  with  their  ribbons;  they  made 

a  superb  show.   I  felt  like  the  d 1,  having  on  a  pair 

of  fancy  trousers,  and  the  gay  tie  that  I  had  not  had 
time  to  change;  my  spring  overcoat,  fortunately  black, 
partly  covered  my  inappropriate  apparel.  I  was  placed 
next  to  the  Spanish  (!)  Minister  with  whom,  as  yet,  I  am 
not  acquainted.  He  was  all  gold  and  scarlet,  a  remark- 


332  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

able  contrast  to  myself.  The  church  was  crowded  and 
the  services,  no  doubt,  impressive,  and  the  music  grand; 
but  the  ceremony  as  a  whole,  unintelligible  and  tiresome. 
At  the  close  Riffault,  in  the  absence  of  Gogordan,  the 
French  Minister,  as  Charge  d' Affaires,  took  a  place  in 
front  of  the  immense  catafalque  and  shook  hands  with  us 
as  we  passed  him.  I  saw  his  eyes  open  and  his  eyebrows 
rise  as  he  noted  my  tie.  I  blamed  Watts  for  not  telling 
me  of  the  formal  character  of  the  ceremony.  He  had  at- 
tended one  for  the  Empress  of  Austria,  where  the  same 
rigorous  dressing  was  required. 

In  the  afternoon  I  made  about  thirty  calls  and  in  the 
evening,  Louise  being  confined  to  the  house  with  sore 
throat  and  influenza,  the  result  of  Watts's  cold  house 
yesterday. 

Marion  and  I  went  to  the  dinner  at  Ghezireh  Palace, 
given  by  the  Swedish  Minister.  About  twenty-six  sat 
down  to  a  beautifully  decorated  table;  among  them  a 
half-dozen  or  more  Swedish  naval  officers  in  full  dress. 
Marion  was  taken  in  by  one  of  them.  I,  of  course,  fell 
to  the  lot  of  Mrs.  Mason  Bey.  After  the  dinner  we  went 
over  to  the  Casino  where  a  dance  was  going  on.  It  was 
the  same  exquisitely  beautiful  and  fairy-like  sight  — 
thousands  of  colored  lights  among  the  flowers  and  palms; 
Ismail's  gilt  furniture,  beautiful  women,  bright-uni- 
formed men.  We  remained  but  half  an  hour,  however, 
only  to  see  the  sight. 

February  24  —  Friday.  "  Donkey ed"  alone.  Did  rou- 
tine work  during  the  morning,  with  many  visitors.  Also 
sent  notices  to  the  American  women  of  the  reception 
granted  them  by  the  Khediveh  mere  —  about  twenty- 


SIR  JOHN  ROGERS'S  DINNER  333 

two  of  them.  Captain  Kaempff,  of  the  Augusta  Victoria, 
and  Mr.  Orim  Peck  lunched  with  us.  Marion  was  driven 
to  the  Pyramids  with  Miss  Getty,  whom  she  lunched 
there.  Louise  still  suffering  from  her  cold.  In  the  evening 
I  went  to  the  Arab  native  fete  in  the  Esbekieh  Gardens. 
Great  crowd,  brilliant  illumination,  and  superb  fireworks. 
Captain  Broderick  and  I  were  together.  Afterwards  I 
went  to  the  opera  house  with  him.  Home  by  11.30  and 
very  tired. 

Saturday  —  February  25.  "Donkeyed"  alone.  Exqui- 
site weather  and  quite  warm  (76°)  during  the  day.  Tuck 
lunched  with  us  and  remained  until  2.45.  In  the  after- 
noon Louise,  though  quite  unfit  to  go  out,  took  the 
brougham  and  was  driven  to  Koobeh,  where  she  had  a  spe- 
cial audience  to  present  her  countrywomen;  including 
Mrs.  Hearst,  Mrs.  Thornburgh-Croppen,  Miss  Pendleton, 
Miss  Philip,  Mrs.  Lorillard,  Miss  Randolph,  Mrs.  Moller, 
Mrs.  Foster,  Mrs.  Moran  and  daughters,  Mrs.  and  Miss 
Mortimer,  and  Mrs.  Dugro,  of  New  York.  Louise  was 
very  much  exhausted  after  her  long,  hot  drive  in  a  close 
carriage.  She  was  too  sick  to  go  out  at  night.  I  went 
alone  to  Sir  John  and  Lady  Rogers's  dinner.  The  table 
was  notably  beautiful,  with  candelabra,  bowls  and  vases  of 
roses  and  smilax  festooned  from  one  end  to  the  other.  At 
each  end  were  bunches  of  pink  almond-tree  blossoms.  I 
took  in  Mrs.  Hope  and  sat  between  her  and  Lady  Rogers. 
So  far  as  I  can  remember,  the  guests  were:  Mrs.  McKen- 
sie,  wife  of  the  South  African  Company's  President,  or 
chairman,  a  very  wealthy  and  important  Londoner;  von 
Muller,  the  German  Minister;  de  Willebois,  the  Dutch 
Minister  (whose  wife,  at  the  last  moment,  had  to  be  ex- 


334  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

cused  on  account  of  sick  headache);  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Hope;  and  several  others.  The  dinner  was  exceptionally 
good,  and  for  a  wonder,  I  was  not  bored  to  death. 

Sunday  —  February  26.  "Donkeyed"  alone.  I  wrote 
letters  all  the  morning,  remained  indoors  during  the 
afternoon,  and,  having  declined  a  dinner  to  Mrs.  Mason, 
who  had  invited  us  to  Shepheard's,  Louise  and  I  retired 
early,  glad  to  escape  hotel  food,  and  again,  to  have  the 
rest  that  going  to  bed  at  ten  o'clock  permitted. 

Monday  —  February  27.  "  Donkey ed"  alone  and  en- 
joyed the  exquisite  morning.  The  nights  now  are  not 
cold.  The  temperature  falls  to  about  50°  or  55°  and  dur- 
ing the  day  it  runs  up  to  70°  or  75°,  with  cloudless  sky 
and  dry  air.  I  had  any  number  of  visitors  during  the 
morning,  including  Mr.  Farman,  the  late  Consul-Gen- 
eral.  The  Tucks  lunched  with  us,  and  participated  in 
the  enjoyment  (?)  of  the  terrapin  that  had  been  sent  over. 
They  had  been  "dressed"  with  egg  and  brandy,  and  it 
was  not  until  I  had  poured  off  the  Philadelphia  dressing, 
and  added  my  own,  that  they  were  eatable  at  all.  I  made 
visits  in  the  afternoon,  calling,  among  others,  on  Sir  Ed- 
ward Mallet,  at  Ghezireh.  Having  declined  a  dinner  from 
Mrs.  Baltazzi  we  retired  early.  Louise  is  still  miserable 
—  she  has  not  been  out  of  the  house  for  three  days. 

Tuesday— February  28.  "Donkeyed"  alone.  Great 
change  in  the  weather.  The  thermometer  fell  to  45°  last 
night  and  a  high  and  sharp  wind  blew  all  day.  I  went 
through  routine  work  this  morning  and  afternoon,  with 
some  pleasant  visitors,  among  them  Mr.  Jeremiah  Curtin, 


TIGRANE  PASHA'S  DINNER  335 

of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  and  Mr.  Screpps,  of  Mich- 
igan. The  latter  brought  a  letter  from  the  United  States 
Minister  at  Constantinople,  Mr.  Angell.  In  the  eve- 
ning alone  I  went  to  Tigrane  Pasha's  dinner.  Louise  had 
a  sick  headache  in  the  morning  and  I  was  obliged  to 
write  to  have  her  excused.  Dinner,  as  usual  at  Tigrane's 
house,  excellent.  I  met  the  Count  and  Countess  Raben 
—  she  is  an  American  of  great  beauty,  he  a  Dane.  Four- 
teen sat  down,  the  only  other  Minister  and  Consul-General 
besides  myself,  Faradjalla  Khan.  But  three  ladies  pres- 
ent ! !  —  Countess  Raben,  Mme.  Fabricius,  and  Mrs. 
Turnure.  I  sat  next  to  the  last  —  on  my  left  was  a 
Frenchman  who  spoke  no  English.  All  the  conversation 
at  the  table  was  in  French,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  off  at 
10.30. 

Wednesday  —  March  1.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual,  and  a 
great  ride  I  had,  a  strong  gallop  along  the  Ghezireh 
road,  in  company  with  a  carriage  that  excited  my  fellow 
to  go. 

Dr.  S.  Weir  Mitchell  and  Mr.  Schuyler  called  during 
the  morning  and  made  me  a  long  visit.  Also  the  Count 
and  Countess  Raben,  whom  I  met  the  night  before  at 
Tigrane's.  I  think  she  was  Louise  Chandler  Moulton, 
and  is  a  connection  of  the  Pomfret  Chandlers. 

In  the  afternoon  I  was  driven  to  Ghezireh  Palace  to 
return  calls.  Judge  Tuck  dined  with  us  and  remained 
until  after  eleven  o'clock.  We  studied  together  the  B.  &  C. 
proposals  of  the  Government  on  the  Tribunals. 

Thursday  —  March  2.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Rou- 
tine work  and  nothing  of  moment  to  record  except  the 


336  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

withdrawal  of  my  dinner  invitations  for  the  6th,  on  ac- 
count of  the  Khediveh  mere's  soiree.  Writing  official 
letters  until  quite  11  P.M.,  then,  quite  fatigued,  eyes  and 
mind,  "turned  in." 

Friday  —  March  3.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  I  went  to 
the  headquarters  of  the  American  Missions,  at  ten  o'clock, 
to  attend  the  graduating  exercises  of  the  Senior  Class 
of  the  Girls'  Boarding  School.  I  was  greatly  interested. 
The  exercises  were  held  in  the  chapel  —  quite  a  large 
room,  capable  of  holding  six  to  eight  hundred  people,  and 
was  crowded  with  friends  of  the  Mission  and  of  the  schol- 
ars. My  seat  was  an  armchair  on  the  platform.  The  girls 
were  not  good-looking;  on  the  contrary,  very  plain  and 
figureless.  Their  addresses,  excepting  that  on  "Nothing 
to  Wear,"  were  original  compositions,  and  were  marvel- 
ous exhibitions  of  memory.  Of  course,  being  in  Arabic, 
I  could  not  understand  a  word  that  was  said.  Notwith- 
standing, one's  interest  was  sustained  throughout,  I  can- 
not say  how  or  why.  The  management,  Rev.  Messrs.  Har- 
vey, Ewing,  Griffets,  and  Harris,  seemed  very  pleased 
that  I  had  come!  which  greatly  amused  me.  Mr.  Hunter 
dined  with  us,  and  he,  with  Marion  and  me,  went,  in  the 
evening,  to  see  the  Holy  Carpet  displayed  at  the  Kiosk  of 
Mehemet  AH  Square.  I  attach  the  invitation: 

Gouvernorat  du  Caire 

Billet  d'entree  a  la  fete  du  Kiswa  (Tapis  Sacr6)  qui  aura  lieu 
au  Kiosk  du  Mahmal  a  Midan  Mahomed  AH  (Gitadelle)  le  soir 
de  Vendredi  3  Mars  1899,  a  9  h. 

Ce  Billet  est  valable  pour  le  porteur  et  sa  famille. 

Too  tired  to  attend  the  Italian  Fancy  and  Masked 
Ball  at  the  opera  house  afterwards.  All  retired  early. 


LAYING  A  CORNER-STONE  337 

Saturday  —  March  4.  Did  not  "donkey"  this  morn- 
ing, but,  instead,  at  eight  o'clock  was  driven  with  Marion 
to  Mehemet  AH  Square  to  see  the  Kiswa,  or  Holy  Car- 
pet, which  was  exposed  in  the  Kiosk  last  night,  start  on 
its  journey  to  Mecca.  I  have  already  described  this  in- 
teresting and  imposing  spectacle.  This  year  it  was  not 
different,  except  the  crowds  seemed  greater,  the  Khedive 
was  more  numerously  attended  and  the  picture  of  color 
seemed  more  magnificent  and  intense. 

In  the  afternoon  I  called  on  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Connaught,  and  attended  and  assisted  at  the  laying  of 
a  corner-stone  of  the  new  banking  house  of  the  National 
Bank  of  Egypt.  All  the  world  was  there,  the  Khedive, 
the  principal  figure,  officiating  at  the  laying  of  the  stone. 
After  he  had  used  the  trowel  and  tapped  the  stone  four 
times,  at  each  point  of  the  compass,  the  hammer  was 
given  to  Lady  Palmer,  who  tapped,  then  Lord  Cromer, 
and  then  to  me.  I  gave  four  loud  and  resounding  taps, 
which  brought  out  a  general  smile. 

In  the  evening  Louise  and  I  went  to  a  dinner  at  the 
German  Minister's,  von  Miiller,  and  afterwards,  listened 
there  to  music.  The  dinner  was  excellent.  I  took  in  Mme. 
Fabricius,  wife  of  Fabricius  Bey,  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful women  in  Cairo.  Von  Miiller  took  in  Louise.  Sir 
Eldon  Gorst,  the  Financial  Adviser,  and  his  sister,  were 
there.  After  dinner  about  forty  people  came  in  for  the 
musicale.  We  left  early,  about  eleven  o'clock.  I  have 
had  a  wretched  cold  for  the  past  four  days  —  cannot 
smoke  with  any  pleasure. 

Sunday  —  March  5.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual,  although 
I  had  a  continuance  of  my  bad  cold.  Remained  indoors 


338  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

afterwards,  writing  letters,  etc.  In  the  afternoon  called 
on  Tigrane  Pasha,  Sir  Alonzo  Money,  and  others.  Re- 
mained in  the  house  during  the  evening,  having  declined 
a  dinner  at  Baltazzi's. 

Monday  —  March  6.  "Donkeyed,"  although  my  cold 
is  little  or  no  better.  Large  mail  from  the  United  States. 
Busy  with  visitors  during  the  morning.  At  2.30  I  was  at 
Lord  Cromer's  to  attend  a  reception  of  His  Royal  High- 
ness the  Duke  of  Gonnaught.  Ahead  of  time,  about  five 
minutes,  so,  consequently,  was  first  introduced  to  the 
Duke,  with  whom  I  had  a  pleasant  chat,  pleasant  and 
intimately  friendly.  He  is  a  man  of  good  presence,  not 
handsome,  but  with  rather  a  striking  face,  which  bears 
a  family  likeness;  quite  bald.  He  looks  the  gentleman 
that  he  is;  has  no  appearance  of  grossness,  sensuality  or 
excess.  I  drove  afterwards  to  Ghezireh  and  left  invita- 
tions for  Louise's  "at  home"  on  the  14th.  Hunter  and 
Harvey  dined  with  us  and  went  with  us  to  the  Khediveh 
mere's  soiree  dansante.  A  superb  affair,  similar  to  the  Khe- 
dive's ball,  but  more  select,  only  four  hundred  invita- 
tions, instead  of  sixteen  hundred,  issued.  No  tourists, 
much  to  their  disgust.  We  did  not  remain  to  supper, 
and  were  home  before  twelve  o'clock. 

Tuesday  —  March  7.  Did  not  "donkey";  but  at  ten 
o'clock,  started  with  Marion  for  Abbassieh,1  to  see  the 
review  of  the  British  troops  by  His  Royal  Highness  the 
Duke  of  Connaught.  Upon  our  arrival  at  the  grounds 
we  found  ourselves  so  late  that  we  had  no  position  from 
the  carriage  to  see  well;  so,  having  been  to  a  similar  re- 
view by  General  Talbot,  we  turned  about  and  reached 


THE  DUKE  OF  CONNAUGHT  339 

the  Agency  at  10.30.  Afterwards  I  was  very  busy  with 
invitations  that  I  wrote.  Louise  held  her  usual  Tuesday 
afternoon  reception.  The  house,  as  always  on  these  oc- 
casions, was  crowded,  especially  about  six  o'clock.  In 
the  evening  at  10.30  Louise  and  I  went  to  the  Talbot 
soiree,  at  which  the  Duke  of  Connaught  and  the  Duchess 
were  present.  Truly  it  was  a  most  beautiful  sight.  The 
house,  although  cut  up  into  rooms  of  no  great  size,  is 
quite  large  and  really  excellent  for  an  entertainment 
without  dancing,  which  this  was,  due  to  their  Royal 
Highnesses  being  in  part  mourning.  The  exquisite  color- 
ing of  the  women's  dresses,  the  brilliant  uniforms  of  the 
men,  and  the  profusion  of  gold-laced  officers,  combined 
to  make  a  scene  long  to  be  remembered.  Of  course  we 
were  late,  having  had  an  accident  on  our  way,  our  Arab 
horses  running  away  and  with  difficulty  stopped,  and 
consequently  we  were  not  presented,  as  we  should  have 
been,  with  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  The  presentation  was 
made,  after  a  long  wait,  for  us,  by  Lady  Talbot. 

Wednesday  —  March  8.  "Donkeyed"  this  morning. 
Received  an  interesting  mail  and  almost  the  whole  morn- 
ing was  consumed  reading  and  partly  replying  to  it. 
Small  luncheon  to-day,  with  Watts  and  wife,  and  four 
others.  The  guests  did  not  go  until  3.45,  when  I  started 
for  the  Citadel  to  attend  the  Annual  Games  of  the  Sea- 
forth  Highlanders.  I  affix  the  invitation: 

Colonel  Murray 

and  the 
Officers  1st  Batt'n  Seaforth  Highlanders 

at  Home 

The  Citadel,  March  8th,  1899 
Annual  Highland  Games 
2.30  to  6  P.M. 


340  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Louise  was  too  tired  to  go  and  Marion  had  another 
engagement.  In  the  evening  we  were  to  have  gone  to 
Baron  Oppenheim's  dance,  but  I  had  had  a  headache 
all  day,  and  Louise  did  not  care  to  go,  so  she  wrote  him 
a  note  requesting  to  be  excused.  To  bed  early,  and  glad 
to  get  there.  The  scene  at  the  Citadel  was  very  fine  and 
interesting.  The  games  took  place  within  the  great  quad- 
rangle, at  least  one  thousand  feet  square.  On  one  side 
large  tents  had  been  set  up  and  under  them  seats  or 
benches,  in  tiers,  rose  one  above  the  other.  There  were 
also  rows  of  chairs  and  a  huge  tent  under  which  were  a 
buffet  and  tables,  with  an  excellent  afternoon  "tea"  of 
sandwiches,  cakes,  ice  cream,  various  drinks,  etc.  The 
best  of  the  English  set  of  Cairo  society  was  there,  with 
quite  a  number  of  leading  people  of  other  nations  —  but 
no  Egyptians! 

Thursday  —  March  9.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  I  was 
busy  all  the  morning  with  routine  work  and  receiving 
visitors,  among  them  Judge  Tuck,  who  remained  to  lunch- 
eon. Finished  my  dispatch  to  the  Department  respect- 
ing the  Mixed  Tribunals  and  rejoiced  that  the  work  was 
finally  done.  I  can  quit  Cairo  now  with  a  clear  conscience 
that  no  important  matter  will  remain  unfinished.  Made 
visits  in  the  afternoon  and  in  the  evening  went  to  Ghazi 
Mukhtar  Pasha's  grand  dinner  at  his  magnificent  palace. 
There  were  twenty-four  covers.  The  table  furniture  was 
superb,  with  silver  and  decorated  china  and  sparkling 
glass.  I  sat  between  Maskins  and  de  Hoeltzske  and  had 
a  fairly  good  time.  The  dinner  was  prepared  by  Santi, 
and  although  the  menu  promised  well,  the  dishes  were 
mostly  not  hot.  There  being  a  grand  wedding  after- 


CRAZY  DERVISHES  341 

wards —  that  of  a  son  of  one  of  the  Pashas — the  guests 
left  early  (10.15)  to  give  the  host  and  others  time  to  at- 
tend it. 

Friday  —  March  10.  Finally  this  morning,  after  my 
donkey  ride,  made  my  complete  arrangements  for  our 
passage  home  by  the  Saale  on  the  22d.  Also  completed 
all  the  arrangements  for  my  dinner  of  to-morrow.  In  the 
afternoon  at  1.45  Louise  and  I  attended  the  opening  of 
the  Horticultural  Exhibition,  which  was  to  be  opened 
by  the  Khedive.  It  was  a  notable  gathering,  similar  to 
that  of  last  year,  all  the  Ministers,  the  Diplomatic  Corps, 
and  the  Cairo  notables  being  present.  Louise  was  sent 
for  by  the  Khediveh  mere  and,  with  the  harem,  made 
first  a  tour  of  the  garden.  The  Khedive  did  not  put  in 
an  appearance,  nor  did  Mehemet  Ali  Pasha,  his  brother; 
consequently  the  exhibition  was  opened  by  Ghazi  Mukh- 
tar  Pasha,  accompanied  by  Prince  Hussein.  A  handsome 
collation,  under  an  enormous  tent,  was  served,  the  ladies 
of  the  Committee  welcoming.  We  remained,  Marion 
with  us,  until  after  four  o'clock,  when  we  went  at  once 
home. 

For  the  past  few  days,  it  has  been  very  warm,  the  ther- 
mometer mounting  to  78°  or  80°. 

In  the  evening  I  went  with  a  party  of  English  and 
Americans  to  see  the  crazy  Dervishes,  and  witness  their 
religious  rites,  which  consisted  of  whirling  about,  moving 
their  bodies  quickly  to  and  fro,  grunting  like  hogs,  eat- 
ing live  coals  and  glass,  and  drawing  the  flames  of  four 
or  five  candles  of  tallow  tied  together  up  and  down  their 
throats.  A  curious  and  rather  disgusting  exhibition. 
Home  at  11.30  P.M. 


342  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

Saturday  —  March  11.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  More 
or  less  busy  in  the  morning  with  visitors  and  arranging 
for  my  to-night's  dinner,  at  which  the  TurkislT  High 
Commissioner,  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  is  to  be  the  prin- 
cipal guest.  The  guests  at  the  dinner,  which  was  admir- 
ably cooked  and  served,  really  I  think  the  best  that  has 
been  given  at  the  Agency,  were  Mukhtar  Pasha;  M.  de 
Willebois;  Ibrahim  Fuad  Pasha,  Minister  of  Justice;  M. 
Koyander;  M.  Tugini;  Baron  Oppenheim;  Colonel  Har- 
vey Pasha;  Colonel  Money,  Commander  of  the  High- 
landers; Mr.  Mcllwraith,  the  "Judicial  Adviser"  of  the 
Khedive,  who  succeeded  Sir  John  Scott;  His  Excellency 
the  great  Riaz  Pasha;  and  Watts. 

That  I  may  remember  how  they  were  placed,  I  give  the 
table  below: 


Money          Riaz         Mukhtar      Koyander      Harvey 

Pasha, 


Watta  Oppenheim 


Mcllwraith     DC  Willebois   TS.H.     Fuad       Tugini 


After  the  dinner  we  adjourned  to  my  private  office  and 
smoked  until  after  eleven  o'clock.  Mukhtar,  who  always 
goes  home  from  a  dinner  by  10  to  10.15,  was  one  of  the 
latest  to  remain.  He  is  a  grand  old  fellow. 

Sunday  —  March  12.  A  large  mail  from  America  and 
the  Continent,  which  I  greatly  enjoyed  after  I  had  had 


THE  LAST  ENTRY  343 

my  donkey  ride  and  bath.  In  the  afternoon  we  drove 
Mrs.  Richard  Irvin  to  the  Zoological  Gardens  for  tea,  in 
great  style,  with  the  sices.  Evening  at  home,  and  to  bed 
by  9.30. 

Monday  —  March  13.  "Donkeyed"  as  usual.  Had  a 
very  busy  morning  with  the  people  who  are  to  arrange 
for  the  soiree  to-morrow  evening.  Also  had  a  long  and 
satisfactory  interview  with  Sir  Elwin  Palmer,  anent  the 
concession  to  him  of  the  right  to  mine  sulphur  and  pump 
petroleum.  Saw  Gorst,  too,  about  shipping  the  donkeys 
on  the  Saale.  Turnure  lunched  with  us.  Brugsch  Bey 
was  to  have  done  so,  too,  but  at  the  last  moment  he  had 
to  be  excused.  All  the  afternoon  busy  with  the  workmen, 
arranging  furniture,  etc.  In  the  evening  went  to  the  fete 
at  Shepheard's  illumined  garden  —  a  fairy-like  scene. 

Tuesday  —  March  14.  I  have  concluded  to  abandon 
writing  up  my  daily  doings.  Reading  over  the  past  pages 
there  seems  to  be  such  a  repetition  of  events,  such  as  the 
reception  of  visitors,  visits  received  and  made,  of  break- 
fasts, dinners,  soirees,  and  official  and  unofficial  corre- 
spondence, that  I  can  well  rely  on  that  which  I  have  al- 
ready noted  to  be  reminded  of  my  particular  and  general 
life. 

I  will,  therefore,  conclude  the  daily  recital  by  stating, 
without  naming  the  guests,  that  we  gave  a  large  dinner 
of  sixteen  covers;  that  the  company  was  charming, 
largely  Americans;  the  dinner  excellent,  well  cooked  by 
Ahmed,  and  served  to  the  satisfaction  of  all.  Afterwards 
the  men  adjourned  to  my  reception-room,  where,  after 
coffee,  liqueurs,  and  cigarettes,  they  remained  about 


344  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

twenty  minutes,  and  then  joined  the  ladies  in  the  salon. 
The  last  guest  departed  about  eleven  o'clock. 

I,  however,  would  like  to  add  a  few  remarks  of  a  gen- 
eral character  by  stating  that  that  which  helps  to  make 
life  particularly  enjoyable  in  Cairo  is  the  presence  of  so 
many  English  Army  officers,  most  of  them  from  the  best 
families  in  England,  and  all  of  them  gentlemen  in  the 
strictest  sense  of  the  word.  The  regiments  stationed 
here  last  season  were  the  Twenty-first  Lancers,  the  Irish 
Fusileers,  and  the  Cameron  Highlanders.  A  finer  body  of 
men  one  could  not  wish  to  see. 

The  climate  in  Cairo  is  delightful  and  absolutely  dry. 
Rain  does  not  fall  more  than  a  half-dozen  times  in  a  year, 
but  when  it  does  rain,  it  rains  hard,  and  gives  everything 
a  good  cleaning. 

Meal  hours  differ  somewhat  over  here  from  the  Ameri- 
can standard  schedule.  At  6.30  A.M.  a  cup  of  coffee  and 
a  roll  is  brought  to  your  bedside,  after  which  you  arise, 
take  your  bath,  and  dress  for  the  morning.  This  is  gen- 
erally followed  by  a  walk  or  a  horseback  ride,  and  some- 
times by  a  donkey  ride,  for  they  have  clever  little  fellows 
over  here  that  it  is  a  pleasure  to  ride.  The  Consular 
hours  are  from  10  A.M.  to  4  P.M.  At  12.30  o'clock  break- 
fast is  served;  in  fact,  it  is  a  substantial  affair  that  would 
be  called  a  high  luncheon  in  the  United  States,  and  con- 
sists of  at  least  two  meats.  At  8.30  P.M.  the  formal  din- 
ner is  served  and  it  is  generally  a  pretty  elaborate  affair; 
so  that  in  Egypt  they  practically  eat  only  two  meals  a 
day,  breakfast  and  dinner,  and  I  find  that  it  is  an  exceed- 
ingly healthful  way  of  living.  One  objection,  though,  to 
life  in  Cairo  is  the  late  hours  which  people  in  society 
keep.  They  never  seem  to  know  when  it  is  time  to  go 


CONSULAR  DUTIES  345 

to  bed;  nevertheless,  they  all  seem  to  survive  the  dis- 
sipation with  admirable  recuperative  ability.  Perhaps 
there  is  something  in  the  air. 

Hotel  accommodation  in  Cairo  is  an  excellent  feature. 
Outside  of  the  far-famed  Shepheard's  there  are  the  Ghezi- 
reh  Palace  Hotel,  the  Continental,  the  Hotel  d'Angle- 
terre,  the  New  Hotel,  and  the  Savoy.  They  are  all  of 
French  architecture  and  design,  inside  and  out,  with  the 
exception  of  Shepheard's,  which  is  finished  within  after 
the  Oriental  style.  Cairo  has  superb  gardens.  These  gar- 
dens are  the  fashionable  rendezvous,  and  more  delightful 
surroundings  could  not  be  desired. 

As  for  the  consular  duties  in  Egypt:  the  main  object 
is  to  look  out  for  the  imports  of  American  export  trade. 
This  requires  close  application  and  continuous  study  of 
existing  conditions.  For  this  reason  I  do  not  believe  in 
the  present  system  of  changing  consuls  with  each  Presi- 
dential election.  When  a  man  has  become  familiar  with 
the  work  he  should  be  left  to  carry  it  out  or  he  should  be 
promoted  to  some  higher  office  where  his  experience  would 
bring  even  greater  commercial  advantages  to  his  coun- 
try. I  can  give  no  better  illustration  of  the  necessity  for 
keeping  a  thoroughly  informed  man  on  the  ground  than 
the  lamentable  fact  that  the  imports  into  Egypt  last 
year  amounted  to  $51,000,000,  of  which  the  United 
States  only  contributed  $300,000.  To  my  mind,  the  rea- 
son for  this  state  of  affairs  dates  far  back  and  is  due  to 
the  removal  of  men  who  had  studied  up  trade  relations 
and  whose  successors  were  appointed,  not  for  any  com- 
mercial qualifications,  but  as  a  reward  for  political  sup- 
port. Other  nations  have  the  advantage  of  us  in  this 
respect,  and  I  hope  to  see  the  day  when  our  consuls  will 


346  DIARY  OF  A  DIPLOMAT 

be  appointed  under  civil  service  rules,  with  the  tenure 
of  office  limited  only  by  incapacity  or  abuse.  There  is 
a  tremendous  opening  for  American  manufacturers  in 
Egypt,  and  I  have  just  submitted  a  report  to  the  Presi- 
dent, showing  the  lines  on  which  we  can  enter  into  com- 
petition with  Europe,  with  the  best  chances  of  imme- 
diate success. 


THE  END 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX 

[Extract  from  the  New  York  Times] 
MRS.  HARRISON'S  BALL  AT  CAIRO 

Cairo,  March  30,  1899. 

ABOUT  this  time  of  the  year  members  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps 
located  at  Cairo,  Egypt,  begin  to  pack  their  trunks  preparatory 
to  their  summer  vacation  from  this  intensely  hot  climate  during 
the  five  months,  from  May  until  October.  Before  taking  their 
departure,  the  wives  of  the  diplomats  give  an  "at  home"  and 
among  these  social  festivities  was  a  most  brilliant  one  given  by 
Mrs.  Harrison,  wife  of  Colonel  Thomas  Skelton  Harrison,  of  Phila- 
delphia, the  American  Diplomatic  Agent  and  Consul-General,  who, 
by  the  way,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  all  the  many  members 
of  the  Diplomatic  Corps.  :*i 

Long  before  the  event,  all  Cairo  had  begun  to  talk  of  Mrs. 
Harrison's  ball.  The  American  Diplomatic  Agent  and  Consul- 
General  and  his  wife  had  been  entertaining  all  winter  in  the  most 
brilliant  manner,  and  when  Mrs.  Harrison  sent  out  cards  for  an 
"at  home"  as  a  farewell  to  the  season,  expectation  was  raised  to 
the  highest  pitch.  There  had  been  no  intention,  in  the  beginning, 
to  achieve  anything  very  notable.  Mrs.  Harrison's  idea  was  to 
ask  her  friends  for  the  evening  of  March  14,  the  affair  to  be  rather 
simple  and  not  particularly  formal.  But  in  almost  no  time  the 
matter  had  grown  from  an  "at  home"  to  a  soiree  and  from  a 
soiree  to  a  ball.  The  list  of  invitations  could  not  be  helped  from 
growing.  The  fact  that  Colonel  This  was  invited  made  it  neces- 
sary to  ask  Major  That.  Then  Mrs.  So-and-So's  friend  wanted 
to  know  why  she  had  not  been  invited  and  so  forth.  It  was  vain 
to  represent  that  the  capacity  of  the  house  was  limited;  there  was 
nothing  for  it  but  to  yield  to  persuasion  and  add  to  the  invitation 
list. 

BOWER   OF  FLOWERS 

When  the  evening  came,  the  interior  of  the  diplomatic  residence 
was  one  of  great  effect  in  flowers  and  lights  and  colors.  The  stair- 
ways were  so  many  bowers  of  ferns  and  palms  and  roses,  amid 


350  APPENDIX 

which  electric  bulbs  gleamed  like  golden  apples.  The  dining-room 
and  drawing-room  had  been  thrown  into  one,  the  great  leaved 
plants  of  Egypt  leaning  out  of  every  corner  and  catching,  with  the 
polished  floor,  every  one  of  the  myriad  gleams  that  fell  from  the 
candelabra. 

Just  before  entering  the  improvised  ball-room  one  encountered 
the  orchestra,  in  a  fairy  bower  of  its  own,  sending  forth  its  music 
unstintingly.  Opposite  was  a  door  leading  into  the  apartment  set 
aside  for  the  reception  of  the  guests  as  they  arrived.  Here  rugs 
were  laid,  thick  to  the  point  of  luxury,  restful  to  the  eye  in  color 
and  to  the  foot  in  softness,  and  a  little  further  on  was  still  another 
room,  all  red  and  gold;  furnished  in  Louis  XV  style.  Here  Mrs. 
Harrison  held  a  court  of  honor  in  the  course  of  the  evening.  But 
perhaps  the  most  striking  effect  was  from  the  terrace.  The  great 
glass  walls  afforded  a  view  of  the  garden,  a  bit  of  Egyptian  nature 
groomed  to  perfection,  visible  under  the  stars,  beautified  instead 
of  hidden,  by  darkness. 

The  entrance  to  the  house  had  its  blaze  of  color,  too.  Masses 
of  gold  and  blue,  crowned  by  tarbouches,  were  the  sworded  janis- 
saries moving  like  falcons  among  their  more  plainly,  but  richly 
attired  fellow  servants.  A  moment  before  half-past  nine,  Mrs. 
Harrison  entered  the  reception-room.  She  had  already  achieved 
distinction  as  the  best-dressed  woman  in  Cairo,  and  this  distinc- 
tion was  hers,  not  so  much  because  of  the  richness  of  her  attire, 
although  it  was  up  to  the  highest  standard  in  that  respect,  but 
because  of  its  perfect  taste.  Mr.  Harrison  stood  by  his  wife  in  the 
severe  simplicity  of  an  evening  dress,  his  Loyal  Legion  medal  pend- 
ent from  a  red,  white,  and  blue  ribbon  about  his  neck,  and  the 
Grand  Army  Badge,  of  which  he  is  so  proud,  in  his  coat. 

Of  the  party  was  also  Miss  Marion  L.  Harvey,  Mrs.  Harrison's 
sister,  a  belle  of  the  season.  She  was  attired  in  pink  satin  and  her 
coiffure  was  in  the  style  of  the  Court  of  Marie  Antoinette,  with- 
out powder.  Mr.  Harrison  had  with  him  members  of  his  official 
staff,  including  Mr.  Dulany  Hunter,  the  Deputy  Consul-General, 
Mr.  Ethelbert  Watts,  the  Vice-Consul-General,  assisting  later  in 
the  evening. 

DISTINGUISHED  GUESTS 

Promptly  at  half-past  nine  the  guests  began  to  arrive.  The  men 
left  their  hats  and  coats  in  the  vestiaire  immediately  upon  arriv- 
ing, while  the  ladies  were  conducted  upstairs  to  prepare  themselves 


APPENDIX  351 

for  the  evening.  To  one  who  stood  outside  watching  these  arrivals, 
the  spectacle  was  only  less  brilliant  than  that  within.  The  pranc- 
ing horses,  the  running  sices  and  janissaries,  the  smart  equipages, 
the  brilliantly  uniformed  officers  and  the  even  more  brilliantly  be- 
gowned  beauties  of  a  capital  famed  for  its  feminine  loveliness, 
coalesced  into  one  great  pageant  making  for  a  common  end  — 
the  Harrison  portal.  Nor  were  the  Cairenes  of  the  plainer  sort  in- 
different to  such  an  attraction,  and  long  before  the  hour  fixed  for 
the  affair,  the  Sharia-el-Mahgrabby  was  filled  with  interested  sight- 
seers, whom  the  police  kept  within  bounds. 

Among  the  earliest  arrivals  was  Riaz  Pasha,  formerly  Premier 
of  Egypt,  and  still  one  of  her  greatest  men.  He  was  received  with 
the  deference  that  he  loves  and  the  cordiality  that  his  personal 
worth  merits.  But  the  astonishment  of  the  evening  was  the  large 
representation  from  the  British  Agency,  for  Viscount  Cromer  and 
his  staff  are  in  mourning  for  a  royalty,  and  on  that  account,  failed 
to  appear  at  the  Khediveh  mere's  ball  in  honor  of  the  birth  of  the 
heir  to  the  throne  of  Egypt.  His  lordship's  suite  appeared  at  Mrs. 
Harrison's,  however,  glittering  in  decorations  and  making  their 
courtliest  speeches  to  hostess  and  host.  Then  followed  the  Khe- 
dive's Premier,  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  accompanied  by  another 
Cabinet  Minister,  Hussein  Fakhri  Pasha,  and  the  latter's  hand- 
some young  son,  Djafer  Fakhri,  their  tarbouches  cocked  at  the 
gayest  angle. 

And  now  a  stream  of  rich  humanity  poured  through  the  wide 
portals.  There  could  be  seen  the  Dutch  Minister,  Van  der  Does 
de  Willebois,  and  his  lady,  with  their  charming  daughters,  the 
girls  attired  in  the  native  costume  of  the  Scheldt,  their  hair  pow- 
dered and  the  feet  quaintly  slippered.  There  were  the  French 
Charge  d* Affaires,  M.  Riffault,  and  the  staff  of  the  Legation;  the 
German  Minister  and  his  suite;  but,  for  that  matter,  the  entire 
Diplomatic  Corps  put  in  an  appearance.  The  most  brilliant  group 
of  all  was  the  military.  The  officers  of  the  Army  of  Occupation, 
from  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Major-General  Talbot,  down, 
wore  their  smartest  uniforms  and  made  their  most  splendid  obei- 
sance. 

The  quiet  men  made  for  the  smoking-room  early  in  the  evening 
to  enjoy  a  brandy-and-soda,  and  a  cigar,  and  to  talk.  Here  sat 
Mr.  Rennell  Rodd ;  Colonel  Gordon,  nephew  of  the  hero  of  Khar- 
tum; Faradjalla  Khan,  Persia's  famous  diplomat;  and  great  men 
galore.  But  not  least  in  this  group  were  the  ladies,  many  of  whom 


352  APPENDIX 

could  appreciate  the  soothing  cigarette.  The  conversation  turned 
naturally  upon  the  impending  departure  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harri- 
son, and  many  were  the  expressions  of  hope  that  they  would  speed- 
ily return. 

The  dancing  began  at  ten  o'clock  with  a  waltz.  The  floor  was 
alive  with  circling  couples,  but  not  crowded.  It  was  at  this  period 
of  the  festivities  that  full  justice  could  be  done  to  the  toilettes 
of  the  ladies,  many  of  them  the  exquisite  creations  of  Worth  and 
Felix.  They  were  resplendent  beneath  the  lights,  and  there  were 
moments  when  the  great  ballroom  was  one  great  kaleidoscope  set 
to  music.  The  daintiest  dance  cards  had  been  distributed  and 
every  lady  was  bedecked  with  flowers,  while  at  the  festooned  doors 
and  along  the  walls  stood  men  and  women  looking  on  in  admira- 
tion and  seeming  to  have  been  stationed  there  to  heighten  the 
effect  with  the  splendor  of  their  own  dress  and  distinction. 

ROYALTY  AT  THE  BALL 

But  the  climax  of  it  all  now  had  to  come.  Promptly  at  half-past 
ten  appeared  the  royalties.  There  were  His  Highness  Prince  Ibra- 
him Pasha  Halim,  cousin  to  the  Khedive;  Prince  Said  Pasha 
Halim,  the  richest  man  in  Egypt,  and  he  whose  brother  married 
the  Khedive's  sister;  Prince  Ibrahim  Pasha,  cousin  to  the  Khe- 
dive. The  police  had  to  compel  a  passage  for  these  dignitaries 
when  they  arrived  at  the  house.  They  came  within  short  inter- 
vals of  each  other,  Prince  Ibrahim  Pasha  Fuad  wearing  his  rich- 
est sword  and  his  most  flaming  uniform.  He  and  the  other  royal- 
ties marched  through  a  long  lane  of  expectant  guests  to  where 
Mrs.  Harrison  stood,  and  kissed  her  hand  and  made  their  hom- 
ages with  the  courtliness  of  a  Louis  XIV.  They,  too,  had  their 
regrets  to  express  at  Mr.  Harrison's  going  and  their  earnest  hopes 
for  his  return  in  the  autumn. 

The  creators  of  Egypt  of  to-day  —  the  people  who  are  now  mak- 
ing the  new  land  of  the  Pyramids  —  could  have  been  studied  at 
leisure  now,  for  all  were  here.  Viscount  Cromer,  the  ruler  of  the 
ruler  of  Egypt,  represented  by  Hon.  Rennell  Rodd,  the  First  Sec- 
retary of  the  British  Agency,  and  England's  most  promising  dip- 
lomat of  the  new  school;  Major  Girouard,  the  young  Canadian 
who  has  given  to  Egypt  her  perfect  railway  system;  Harvey  Pasha, 
the  organizer  of  the  most  unique  police  force  in  the  world;  Abani 
Pasha,  of  the  War  Office,  formerly  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies, 


APPENDIX  353 

and  to-day  one  of  the  highest  Cabinet  officials;  Ibrahim  Pasha 
Fuad,  the  famous  Minister  of  Justice  (not  to  be  confounded  with 
the  prince  of  that  name);  Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  the  present 
Premier  of  Egypt,  and  in  the  opinion  of  many  the  greatest  man 
of  Mohammedan  lineage  in  all  the  Nile  Valley;  Baron  Heidler 
Egeregg,  the  Austrian  Minister,  the  especial  favorite  of  the  court 
of  Francis  Joseph;  Baron  Max  von  Oppenheim,  one  of  Germany's 
richest  men  and  profoundest  scholars  —  but  the  list  could  be  pro- 
longed indefinitely,  and  would  be  a  catalogue  of  Egypt's  greatness. 
The  march  to  the  supper-room  began  shortly  before  midnight, 
and  it  was  at  this  period  of  the  evening  that  the  festivities  seemed 
to  have  culminated.  The  graceful  procession  through  the  long 
gallery  of  palms  and  ferns  and  flowers,  into  which  the  stairway 
had  been  transformed,  the  frou-frou  of  silk  skirts  and  the  gleam 
of  jewels,  as  one  fair  form  followed  another,  now  on  the  arm  of  a 
tarbouched  pasha,  again  escorted  by  a  gold-braided  colonel,  or 
perhaps  accompanied  by  a  royalty  in  many  colors,  charmed  and 
bewildered,  and  charmed  again.  And  when  the  supper  room  was 
reached,  its  snowy  linen,  arrays  of  china,  cut  glass,  glistening  bot- 
tles and  delicate  viands,  were  as  one  flower  bed  set  out  in  snow. 
The  clink  of  glasses,  the  foam  of  champagne  rushing  into  the  crys- 
tal, the  susurration  of  delicate  voices,  the  laughter,  the  moving  back 
and  forth,  might  have  been  set  to  music.  And  the  very  going  had 
a  rhythm.  The  beautiful  gathering  seemed  to  melt  away  in  lin- 
gering farewells,  and  to  mourn,  like  Dante's  exquisite  day,  over 
its  own  going. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abdelwahed-el-Tazzi,    law    case;    176, 

256. 
Acton,  Baroness,  wife  of  Italian  Consul, 

18,  146. 
Ahmed  Pasha  Nachaat,  gives  Arab  mare 

to  Mr.  Harrison  in  1895,  63. 
Ali,  black  janissary  of  the  Agency,  116. 
Ali    Murad,    United    States    Consular 

Agent  at  Luxor,  277,  278,  280. 
Angell,  Hon.  Norman,  Minister  to  Con- 
stantinople, 8,  89;  arrives  in  Cairo, 

159;  165,  168;  dinner  in  honor  of,  169; 

203. 
Antoine  Bacos  Bey,  secretary  of  Persian 

Agency,  69. 
Artin  Yacub  Pasha,  Under-Secretary  of 

Public  Instruction,  205,  286. 
Ayer,  Edward,  of  Chicago,  collects  for 

Field  Museum,  157;  228,  229. 

Bacon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  147;  Mr.  Bacon 
presented  to  the  Khedive,  170;  250. 

Baker,  Rev.  Henry,  President  McKin- 
ley's  pastor,  201 ;  203,  232. 

Baird,  Miss  Lydia,  158. 

Bairam,  Mussulman's  Christmas,  324. 

Baltazzi,  Madame,  arrives  in  Cairo  with 
Miss  Harvey,  280;  284,  291. 

Bancroft,  American  engineer,  13. 

Baratier,  Capitaine,  with  Commandant 
Marchand  at  Fashoda,  calls  on  Mr. 
Harrison,  279;  leaves  for  Fashoda, 
280. 

Baring,  Miss,  niece  of  Lord  Cromer,  28, 
33,  34,  79. 

Barnes,  Mrs.  John  Hampton,  Mr.  Harri- 
son's niece,  109,  note. 

Barringer,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Daniel,  240, 
245. 

Batcheller,  Judge  on  Mixed  Tribunals, 
his  nomination,  71;  appointment,  89; 
audience  with  the  Khedive,  159;  per- 
sona non  grata,  262. 

"Bay  Harrison,"  stallion  presented  to 
the  Khedive  by  Mr.  Harrison,  54. 

Bend,  George,  presented  to  the  Khe- 
dive, 170;  leaves  Cairo,  245. 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  announces  sink- 
ing of  the  Maine,  189. 


Berger,  A.  Van;  brings  letters  from 
General  Porter,  161;  leaves  Cairo, 
207. 

Biddle,  Clement,  of  Philadelphia,  98. 

Biddle,  Miss  Christine,  158,  184. 

Biddle,  Mrs.  Henry,  148,  184. 

Biddle,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer,  arrive, 
210,  230. 

Birch  Bey,  299. 

Bird,  John  H.,  of  New  York,  57,  64,  85, 
111. 

Bird,  Mr.,  of  Boston,  75,  167. 

Bishop,  Cortland  Field,  154;  156;  pre- 
sented to  the  Khedive,  170,  189. 

Blunt,  Lady,  lives  in  the  desert,  268. 

Bohlen,  Charles,  arrives,  229,  239. 

Boutros  Pasha  Ghali,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  8;  a  Copt,  9,  20,  23;  note;  his 
death,  29;  controls  judgeship,  31,  40, 
66,  67-71,  74,  89,  91,  106;  promises  to 
see  to  granting  Tanis  to  American 
Exploration  Society,  113;  accepts  oil 
stove  from  Mr.  Harrison,  145;  232; 
holds  meeting  of  Commission  on 
Mixed  Tribunals,  263-64,  272,  294. 

Bowen,  Joseph  Tilton,  of  Chicago,  305. 

Boyland,  Dr.  Halstead,  of  New  York 
Herald,  296,  317,  323. 

Brewster  Bey,  Secretary  to  the  Khe- 
dive, 17,  54,  74;  trouble  between  him 
and  Countess  Montjoie,  caused  by 
Mr.  Harrison's  private  secretary's 
gossip,  86;  109;  125;  147;  sends  Khe- 
dive's photograph;  169;  204;  280;  291; 
301. 

Brewster  Bey,  Mrs.,  20,  86. 

Broadbent,  W.,  U.S.  Consular  Agent  at 
Port  Said,  6. 

Broderick,  Captain,  333. 

Brooke,  Sir  Reginald,  271;  321;  323. 

Brugsch  Bey,  151. 

Biilow,  Baron  von,  Judge  of  Mixed  Tri- 
bunals, 140. 

Biilow,  Baroness,  at  M.  and  Mme.  Cogor- 
dan's  ball,  197. 

Burchard,  Roswell  P.,  editor  of  Forest 
and  Stream,  203. 

Butcher,  Dean,  head  of  English  Church 
in  Cairo,  137. 


358 


INDEX 


Caillard  Pasha;  286. 

Chalif  Pasha,  127. 

Chereef  Bey,  17,  20,  162-278,  323. 

Chimay,  Princess  de,  86. 

Cinadino,  Mr.,  representative  of  Roths- 
child in  Cairo,  142. 

Clay,  Prof.  Albert  T.,  appointed  to 
"Laffan  Memorial  Chair"  in  Yale, 
246,  note. 

Coghlan,  Captain  of  U.S.  cruiser  Ra- 
leigh, 327;  given  a  dinner,  328. 

Cogordan,  George,   French    Diplomatic 

^  Agent,  19;  gives  musicale,  130;  dinner, 
126,  128,  140,  152;  gives  ball,  197; 
entertains,  240;  friendly  about  Phila- 

?  delphia's  permit  for  Tanis,  250;  sees 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison  off,  267;  atti- 
tude on  Camara  fleet  episode,  272. 

Coles,  Pasha,  292. 

Collender,  Count,  318. 

Collis,  General,  visits  Cairo,  199. 

Commission  on  changing  Organic  Law 
governing  Mixed  Tribunals,  263-64; 
re-assembling  of,  285;  not  unanimous, 
285. 

Connaught,  Duke  and  Duchess  of,  ar- 
rive, 337. 

Cridler,  Assistant  Secretary  of  State  at 
Washington,  31,  71. 

Cromer,  Lord  (Evelyn  Baring),  advises 
Mr.  Harrison,  10,  114;  presents  him  to 
Diplomatic  Corps,  19;  discusses  Col. 
Chaille-Long's  pension  claim,  19,  76; 
"at  home,"  27,  29;  dinner  at,  33,  36; 
courtesies,  40,  69,  76,  78,  79,  87;  takes 
Mrs.  Harrison  in  to  dinner  at  Boutros 
Pasha's,  92 ;  opposed  to  Tigrane  Pasha, 
111;  allowed  $20,000  for  entertaining 
by  British  Government,  126;  does  not 
recognize  Prince  Tussun's  marriage, 
128;  Dean  of  Diplomatic  Corps,  131; 
he  and  Lady  Cromer  give  ball,  138;  ill, 
139;  Lady  Cromer  ill,  168;  dines  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison,  169;  goes  up 
the  Nile,  193, 198;  takes  Mrs.  Harrison 
in  to  dinner,  240;  goes  to  Alexandria, 
257;  calls  on  Mr.  Harrison,  259;  at 
dinner  at  General  Grenfell's,  261 ;  ex- 
presses surprise  as  to  Judge  Batch- 
eller's  selection,  262;  did  not  influence 
Boutros  Pasha,  262;  meeting  of  Com- 
mission on  Mixed  Tribunals,  263; 
talks  frankly  about  French  influence 
to  get  coal  for  Spanish  fleet  under  Ad- 
miral Camara,  272;  speeoh  at  Khar- 
tum, 309;  compliments  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Harrison  on  success  in  official  and  so- 
cial life,  319;  makes,  as  Dean,  congrat- 
ulatory speech  on  Bairam  Day,  325; 
gives  formal  reception  for  Duke  of 
Connaught,  338. 

Crookshank,  Pasha,  64,  74,  320. 

Curry,  ex-Minister  to  Spain,  300;  pre- 
sented to  Khedive,  tells  him  he  was 
present  at  birth  of  King  of  Spain,  302. 

Curtin,  Jeremiah,  of  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tution, 335. 

Darrach,  Mrs.,  275. 

Dawkins,  financial  adviser,  after  Palmer 
head  of  Egyptian  finances,  44;  mar- 
ried relative  of  Hon.  James  B.  Eustis, 
70;  74;  83;  254. 

Dawkins,  Mrs.,  110,  230. 

Dennison,  Mrs.,  108. 

Dicely,  Mr.,  correspondent  of  a  great 
London  daily,  317. 

Dickinson,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  A.  G.,  132; 
Mrs.  Dickinson  was  a  granddaughter 
of  Chief  Justice  Marshall,  64. 

Draper,  General,  writes  from  Rome  con- 
gratulations to  Mr.  Harrison  on  his 
"success  at  Cairo,"  207. 

Drexel,  Mrs.  John  R.,  171;  contributes 
to  Society  for  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals,  192. 

Drexel,  Anthony  J.,  sells  yacht  to  Wal- 
ters, 246. 

Egeregg,  Baron  Heidler,  Austrian  Dip- 
lomatic Agent,  168,  283;  dances  with 
Mrs.  Harrison  in  quadrille  d'honneur 
at  French  Agency  as  vis-a-vis  to  Duke 
of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  197;  247;  284; 
gives  ball  at  the  Savoy,  327. 

Eldridge,  Mrs.  Frank,  249. 

Elias  Bey,  Inspector  in  Bureau  of  the 
Interior,  in  Philadelphia  in  1876,  11; 
present  at  birth  of  the  Khedive  and 
his  brother,  11;  14. 

Ellis,  Frank,  of  Cincinnati,  296. 

Fakhri  Pasha,  84,  92,  98;  nominal  head 
of  public  works,  151;  193;  205;  gives 
dinner,  207;  232;  272;  293. 

Fakhri,  Djafer,  son  of  Fakhri  Pasha, 
gives  garden  party  with  Mrs.  Harri- 
son as  hostess,  306. 

Farad j alia  Khan,  Persian  Minister,  10, 
109. 

Fearing,  Mr.,  112,  140,  315,  316. 

Fearn,  Judge,  resigns,  32. 


INDEX 


359 


Fero,  Jack,  coachman,  breaks  in  and 
turns  over  "Bay  Harrison"  to  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali,  115. 

Fish,  Hamilton,  arrives  with  Mrs.  Fish 
at  Cairo,  148;  157;  164;  167;  presented 
to  the  Khedive,  170;  Mrs.  Fish  pre- 
sented to  the  Khedivehs,  154;  163; 
164. 

Fitz-George,  Colonel,  son  of  Duke  of 
Cambridge,  calls,  329. 

Flower,  ex-Governor,  192. 

Franklin,  Miss,  108. 

Fuad,  Prince,  son  of  Ismail,  uncle  of 
Khedive,  visit  to,  45. 

Fuad,  Princess,  richest  woman  in  Cairo, 
45,  note;  gives  Mrs.  Harrison  diamond- 
set  "zarfs,"  89;  225. 

Funeral  services  for  President  Faure, 
331. 

Gagarine,  Princess,  wife  of  Count  della 
Sala,  93,  note. 

Garner,  Dr.,  305. 

Garras,  messenger  of  Agency,  117,  120, 
272. 

Garstin,  Sir  William,  Under-Secretary 
for  Public  Works,  91;  signs  contract 
for  Assouan  Barrage,  110,  note. 

Garstin,  Lady,  93. 

Gibson,  Charles  Dana,  147;  presented 
to  the  Khedive,  170;  Mrs.  Gibson  pre- 
sented to  the  Khedivehs,  154;  163. 

Girouard,  Major,  282. 

Golokinski,  Count,  27. 

Goodrich,  Captain,  later  Rear-Admiral, 
222. 

Gordon,  Colonel,  81;  cousin  of  General 
Gordon,  111;  interesting  talk  with, 
276. 

Gorst,  Sir  Eldon,  23,  note. 

Graeff  Family,  a  singular  visit,  315. 

Grant,  Lieutenant-General,  British  Ar- 
my, 144. 

Granville,  Lord,  Attache  to  British 
Agency,  27. 

Green,  Colonel,  Adjutant-General  Brit- 
ish Army,  tells  of  victory  near  Ber- 
ber, 252. 

Grenfell,  General  Sir  Francis,  Comman- 
der-in-Chief,  56,  77,  100,  179;  presides 
over  Military  Tattoo,  188;  at  ball  of 
21st  Lancers,  230;  attends  soldiers' 
minstrels,  232;  joins  Mr.  Harrison, 
260;  reviews  troops  and  awards  med- 
als, 295;  leaves  for  Malta  in  military 
state,  301. 


Grenfell,  Lady,  gives  dance,  168;  179; 
ball,  192;  230;  232. 

Griffin,  Rev.  M.,  of  American  Mission, 
13. 

Grubb,  Mr.,  of  Supreme  Court  of  Dela- 
ware, brings  letters  from  Mr.  Ship- 
pen,  177. 

Harper,  John  W.,  introduced  by  Mr. 
Penfield,  178,  184. 

Harrison,  Hon.  Thomas  Skelton,  arrives 
in  Cairo,  7 ;  asks  advice  of  Lord  Cro- 
mer,  8;  calls  on  Boutros  Pasha  Ghali, 
9;  informal  audience  with  Khedive,  16; 
King  of  Siam,  18-20;  wears  Loyal 
Legion  insignium,  20 ;  banquet  at  Abdin 
Palace,  23-25;  opens  negotiations  for 
archaeological  transaction  with  Phila- 
delphia, 26;  takes  up  matter  of  suc- 
cession to  judgeship  of  Mixed  Tribu- 
nals, 31;  dinner  at  Lord  and  Lady 
Cromer's,  33-35,  meets  General  Kitch- 
ener, Sirdar,  36;  prepares  the  way 
for  Tanis  permit,  38;  funeral  of  Ital- 
ian Agent,  40;  complications  over 
Judge  Batcheller's  appointment,  43; 
calls  on  Prince  Fuad,  45-47;  visit 
from  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha,  Turkish 
High  Commissioner,  50-51;  dispute 
over  opera  box,  57;  Khedive  lends 
"Bay  Harrison"  to  Mehemet  Ali,  54. 
arranges  Judge  Tuck's  difficulties,  66- 
67;  Boutros  Pasha  appoints  Judge 
Batcheller,  71 ;  troubles  at  Agency,  73 ; 
Colonel  Chaille-Long's  pension  claim 
turned  down,  76-79;  Countess  Mont- 
joie  follows  advice  in  trouble  with 
Brewster  Bey,  87;  official  presenta- 
tion of  exequatur  to  the  Khedive,  99- 
106;  large  state  dinner  at  Shepheard's 
to  Diplomatic  Corps,  106-07;  brilliant 
dinner  given  him  by  21st  Lancers  at 
Abbassieh,  118;  takes  up  Philadel- 
phia permit  with  Mrs.  Stevenson, 
155;  gives  dinner  in  honor  of  Prince 
Mehemet  Ali,  156;  Khedive  sends 
him  his  portrait,  169;  meets  Duke  of 
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  170;  formal  pres- 
entation of  Hamilton  Fish  and  others 
to  the  Khedive,  170;  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works'  triumph,  182;  curious 
American  wedding,  185;  informs  Khe- 
dive and  Lord  Cromer  that  war  will 
be  declared  against  Spain,  248;  told  by 
Mr.  Laffan  that  Pope  has  intervened, 
249 ;  gives  luncheon  at  which  Spanish 


360 


INDEX 


Diplomatic  Agent  is  present,  254;  talks 
over  war  with  Lord  Cromer,  259;  hears 
of  President's  ultimatum,  261  ;Khedive 
expresses  surprise  that  Judge  Batchel- 
ler  was  sent,  262;  meeting  of  Com- 
mission on  Change  of  Organic  Law 
governing  Mixed  Tribunals,  263-64; 
meets  Diplomatic  Corps  at  Countess 
della' Sala's,  265;  "First  Blood  for 
Spain,"  265;  meets  at  Port  Said  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  in  India,  General  Sir 
William  Lockhart,  and  other  superior 
officers,  271;  good  talk  with  Colonel 
Gordon  on  taking  of  Omdurman,  276; 
gives  breakfast  to  Major-General  Sir 
Francis  Grenfell,  282;  meeting  of  Com- 
mission on  Mixed  Tribunals,  sides 
with  Lord  Cromer,  285;  confidential 
talk  with  Lord  Cromer  on  antagonism 
between  Khedive  and  French  on  one 
side  and  Lord  Cromer,  290;  dines 
with  General  Grenfell  to  meet  Lord 
Lonsdale,  291;  is  placed  next  to  him, 
291-92;  goes  duck  shooting,  294;  Lord 
Lonsdale  invites  Mr.  Harrison  to  din- 
ner, and  sends  him  a  dozen  snipe,  295; 
farewell  dinner  at  Turf  Club  to  Gen- 
eral Grenfell,  Mr.  Harrison  is  called 
upon  and  his  speech  is  much  ap- 
plauded, 298;  noticed  in  London  Tele- 
graph, 303-04;  Khedive's  ball  to  cele- 
brate birth  of  a  son,  305;  amusing 
mishap  at  funeral  services  for  Presi- 
dent Faure,  331-32;  fete  of  the  Sacred 
Carpet,  336;  calls  on  Duke  and  Duch- 
ess of  Connaught,  337;  formal  din- 
ner to  Mukhtar  Pasha,  342 ;  gives  great 
ball,  as  farewell  to  Cairo  Appendix. 
Harrison,  Mrs.  Thomas  Skelton,  arrives 
in  Cairo,  is  presented  to  Khedivehs 
by  Lady  Cromer,  15;  attends  Lord 
and  Lady  Cromer's  "at  home,"  27; 
catches  dengue  fever,  29;  Princess 
Fuad  presents  her  with  two  diamond- 
set  "zarfs,"  45;  invited  by  Mme. 
Tugini  to  attend  wedding  of  Moham- 
med Tewfik-el-Din  Bey,  59-62;  a  run- 
away, 63;  attends  dance  at  Lord  and 
Lady  Cromer's,  69 ;  taken  in  to  dinner 
by  General  Kitchener,  Sirdar,  at  Sir 
El  win  and  Lady  Palmer's  dinner,  81; 
taken  in  to  dinner  by  Lord  Cromer  at 
Boutros  Pasha  Ghali's  state  dinner,  92 ; 
given  coaching  party  by  Mr.  Barbour 
Lathrop,  134;  attends  Lord  and  Lady 
Cromer's  ball,  138;  attends  Mr.  and 


Mrs.  Lawrence  Turnure's  Sakarah 
party,  145;  first  formal  dinner  at  the 
Agency,  148;  calls  on  Princess  Naseli, 
149 ;  meets  her  at  dinner  at  the  Coun- 
tess Mont  joie's,  152;  presents  American 
women  to  the  Khedivehs,  154 ;  domes- 
tic troubles,  160;  gives  luncheon  for 
Mrs.  Stevenson,  164;  attends  Military 
Tattoo,  received  by  Major-General 
Grenfell,  188;  is  given  a  surprise  party, 
191-93;  ball  at  the  Grenf ells',  192;  ball 
at  the  French  Agency,  dances  in  quad- 
rille d'honneur  with  Austrian  Agent, 
Baron  Heidler  Egeregg,  vis-a-vis  the 
Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  197; 
gives  breakfast  for  Mrs.  Stevenson, 
200;  entertains  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Hay  at  breakfast,  210-11;  patroness 
of  Charity  Fete,  213,  232;  "Tea-gown 
dinner"  at  Countess  della  Sala's  for 
wives  left  out  of  Mukhtar  Pasha's  stag 
dinner,  227;  calls  on  Mukhtar's  harem, 
229;  attends  ball  of  Twenty-first  Lan- 
cers, 229;  splendid  ball  closes  her  stay. 
see  Appendix. 

Hassan  Assam,  Master  of  Ceremonies, 
98,  102,  103,  152,  262. 

Hartshorne,  Vice-President  of  Lehigh 
Valley  Railroad,  115. 

Harvey,  Alexander,  clerk  of  Agency,  123, 
273,  293,  299,  349. 

Harvey,  Miss  Marion  L.,  sails  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harrison,  1:  166;  arrives  in 
Cairo,  280;  292;  293;  299,  called  "a 
belle  of  the  season,"  349. 

Harvey,  Rev.,  of  American  Mission,  13; 
14;  184;  marries  the  Onativias,  185. 

Hay,  Hon.  John,  Ambassador  to  the 
Court  of  St.  James,  167;  168;  break- 
fast given  in  his  and  Mrs.  Hay's  honor, 
207. 

Hearst,  Mrs.  Phoebe  A.,  calls,  293,  303. 

Henszey,  Mr.,  partner  of  John  H.  Con- 
verse, 129;  146;  receives  order  for  15 
locomotives,  182;  183. 

Hewat,  American  Consul  at  Alexandria, 
comes  to  attend  Bairam  reception, 
198. 

Hillhouse,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  the  latter  a 
cousin  of  J.  Addison  Porter,  147;  Mr. 
Hillhouse  presented  to  the  Khedive, 
170. 

Hilliard,  artist,  sells  picture  to  Mr. 
Harrison,  173. 

Hoelzske,  Baron  Ode,' Russian  Commis- 
sioner to  Caisse  de  la  Dette,  133. 


INDEX 


361 


Hope,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  of  Army  of 
Occupation  of  Egypt,  271-73. 

Hume,  Lieu  tenant-General  Sir  Robert, 
271. 

Hunter,  William  Dulaney,  Deputy  Con- 
sul-General and  Consular  Clerk,  123, 
272. 

Hussein  Kamel  Pasha,  present  Sultan  of 
Egypt,  since  December  18,  1914,  67, 
68,  note;  at  Lord  Cromer's  ball,  138; 
at  von  Mviller's  state  dinner,  296. 

Ibrahim  Pasha,  brother  of  Prince  Fuad, 

128,  194. 

Ismail  Pasha,  126;  128. 
Ivanoff,  of  the  Russian  Agency,  74. 

Jones,  Frank,  of  Boston;  introduced  by 
William  Struthers  and  Rudolph  Ellis 
of  Philadelphia,  296. 

Keeley,  Judge,  on  Mixed  Tribunals  Com- 
mission as  alternate  to  Mr.  Harrison, 
214,  263. 

Kennedy,  Major,  married  a  Churchill, 
81,  138. 

Khedive,  Abbas  Hilmi,  14,  15-16,  18,  19, 
20;  gives  state  dinner  for  the  King  of 
Siam,  20-22;  signs  Judge  Tuck's  ap- 
pointment, 71;  receives  Judges  Tuck 
and  Batcheller,  162;  sends  photograph 
to  Mr.  Harrison,  169;  receives  Ameri- 
cans, 170;  receives  Mr.  Vanderbilt, 
190;  state  dinner  to  Duke  of  Saxe- 
Coburg-Gotha,  203-04;  attends  the 
Mahmal,  232,  253;  receives  Mr.  Harri- 
son, expresses  surprise  at  Judge  Batch- 
eller having  been  sent  to  Egypt,  262; 
reception  to  Diplomatic  Corps,  etc., 
274;  audience  to  Americans,  300; 
gives  ball  in  honor  of  birth  of  a  son 
and  heir,  307:  asks  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Harrison  to  visit  his  estates  at  Koo- 
beh  and  Matereeh  with  him  as  host, 
108;  attends  the  Mahmal  celebration, 
337. 

Khediveh,  presentation  of  American 
women  to,  154;  attends  the  Mahmal 
ceremony,  253;  in  retirement  as  ex- 
pectant mother,  324. 

Khediveh  m&re,  attends  French  charity 
ball  in  box,  317;  receives  22  American 
women  presented  by  Mrs.  Harrison, 
333;  at  Horticultural  Exhibition  sends 
for  Mrs.  Harrison,  who  goes  over  the 
garden  with  the  harem,  341. 


Kidder,  Frank,  of  New  York,  arrives  on 
the  Walters'  yacht,  291. 

King  of  Siam,  13,  16-25. 

Kitchener,  Major-General,  Sirdar  of 
Egyptian  Army,  36;  under  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  General  Sir  Francis 
Grenfell,  56;  starts  for  Berber,  87;  re- 
turns to  Khartum,  294. 

Koyander,  Diplomatic  Agent  of  Russia, 
19;  Madame  Koyander,  consulted  on 
etiquette,  154. 

Laffan,  editor  of  the  New  York  Sun,  ar- 
rives on  the  Walters'  yacht,  246;  warns 
Mr.  Harrison  that  war  is  to  be  de- 
clared against  Spain,  248. 

Landberg,  Count  and  Countess,  of  Swe- 
den, 92;  countess  gives  Christmas- 
Tree  party,  107-08;  gives  dinner, 
180. 

Lane,  General,  succeeds  General  Hen- 
derson as  commander  of  British 
forces  at  Alexandria,  292;  301. 

Langhorne,  Colonel  of  Warwickshire 
Regiment,  73. 

Lathrop,  Barbour,  of  California,  brings 
letters  from  Secretary  Sherman,  83; 
wishes  to  accompany  the  Sirdar  to 
Berber,  87;  tells  stories,  94;  gives 
coaching  party  in  honor  of  Mrs.  Har- 
rison, 134. 

Lebaudy,  builds  Drexel  yacht,  sold  to 
H.  Walters  of  Baltimore,  246. 

Littleton,  Colonel,  2,  3,  300-04. 

Lockhart,  General  Sir  William  S.  A. 
Lockhart,  Commander-in-Chief  in  In- 
dia, 271;  speaks  to  Mr.  Harrison  of 
trouble  with  France,  273. 

Lome,  du  Puy  de,  letter  discussed  at  the 
Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's  lunch- 
eon, 196. 

Lonsdale,  Lord,  arrives  and  is  enter- 
tained by  General  Grenfell,  291;  Har- 
rison sits  next  to  him,  and  he  sends 
him  photograph  of  himself  and  his 
castle,  292. 

Long,  Colonel  Chaille-,  32;  seeks  pen- 
sion, 76,  79,  114. 

Longworth,  Mr.,  editor  of  the  Cairo 
Sphinx,  11. 

Loret,  Victor,  head  of  Service  des  Anti- 
quites,  26,  27,  38,  75,  148,  151,  155, 
251. 

Mcllwraith,  Judicial  Adviser  to  the  Khe- 
dive, 274. 


362 


INDEX 


Mahmal  (Holy  Carpet),  232;  starts,  252. 

Mahmud,  Caliph  of  Dervishes,  defeated 
by  Kitchener,  252. 

Mahmud  Bey,  son  of  Mukhtar  Pasha, 
183. 

Mahmud  Choukry  Pasha,  Chief  of  Khe- 
divial  Cabinet,  204. 

Mallet,  Sir  Edward,  334. 

Malortie,  Baron,  74;  was  in  Mexico,  92- 
93;  writes  to  congratulate  Mr.  Harri- 
son on  speech  at  "Farewell"  dinner 
to  General  Grenfell,  326. 

Manskoff ,  of  Frankford,  Germany,  182. 

Marchand,  Commandant,  calls  with 
Sabatier,  279;  leaves  to  return  to 
Fashoda,  280. 

Martin,  Colonel,  21st  Lancers,  entertains 
at  mess  Mr.  Harrison,  119;  138;  195; 
201;  222. 

Martino,  Giuseppe  de,  funeral  of,  40. 

Maskins,  Baron  de,  Belgian  Diplomatic 
Agent,  70,  78,  98;  has  best  cook  in 
Cairo,  113;  gives  ball,  326. 

Mason  Bey,  Mrs.,  109,  111,  132,  163; 
gives  handsome  dinner,  321. 

Mehemet  Ali,  Prince,  Khedive's  brother, 
11,  16;  seeks  to  quiz  Mr.  Harrison  on 
the  Mixed  Tribunal  matter,  290. 

Metcalf,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  330. 

Metternich,  Count,  German  Diploma- 
tic Agent,  19,  23,  25,  40,  41,  78,  91- 
92. 

Milner,  Sir  Alfred,  quoted,  31,  note, 
51,  note. 

Mitchell,  ex-Senator,  friend  of  Senator 
Penrose,  211. 

Mitchell,  Dr.  S.  Weir  calls,  335. 

Mitchell,  Mr.,  of  Boston,  gives  a  lunch- 
eon at  the  Mena,  317. 

Mohammed  Abani  Pasha,  Minister  of 
War,  44. 

Mohammed  Tewfik-el-Din  Bey,  wedding 
of,  58. 

Mohl,  Mr.  de,  German  representative 
on  Caisse  de  la  Dette,  18,  27,  113,  140, 
152. 

Money,  Mr.,  British  head  of  Land  Office, 
74,  77-78. 

Money,  General  of  Scotch  Highlanders, 
77. 

Montjoie,  Count,  Austrian  Diplomatic 
Agent,  told  Mr.  Harrison  he  thought 
the  United  States  unjust  with  Spain, 
263. 

Montjoie,  Countess,  wife  of  the  Aus- 
trian Diplomatic  Agent,  11,  13,  17; 


trouble  with  Brewster  Bey  through 
Mr.  Harrison's  secretary,  86,  98. 

Moran,  Mrs.,  and  daughters,  317. 

Morgan,  J.  Pierpont,  establishes  Me- 
morial to  Mr.  Laffan  in  Yale,  246. 

Muir,  General,  80;  gives  dinner  at  Turf 
Club,  316;  leaves  Cairo,  321. 

Mukhtar  Pasha  Ghazi,  Turkish  High 
Commissioner,  48,  50,  58,  127,  178; 
sends  out  invitations,  202,  208;  mag- 
nificent dinner,  225-27;  his  harem, 
228-29;  splendid  dinner,  340;  he  also 
dines  at  the  Harrisons',  342. 

Mviller,  Baron  von,  German  Diplomatic 
Agent,  101,  112,  131,  143,  179,  193, 
224,  257,  272,  315. 

Murh,  Surgeon-General,  48,  72,  73. 

Murphy,  Mr.,  of  New  York,  brings  let- 
ters from  the  State  Department,  305; 
wants  invitation  for  the  Khedive's 
ball  —  offers  five  dollars  for  it,  305. 

Murray,  Colonel,  273;  339. 

Mustapha  Pasha  Fehmy,  once  a  Prime 
Minister,  23,  note;  78;  91;  invited  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Harrison  to  dinner,  224;  237. 

Naseli,  Princess,  daughter  of  Ismail 
Pasha,  149;  dines  at  Countess  Mont- 
joie's,  152,  153;  at  home,  327. 

Neghi  Boutros  Ghali,  son  of  Boutros 
Pasha  Ghali,  161;  gives  party  at 
Sakkara,  163. 

Neilson,  James,  303. 

Newell,  George  Baldwin,  of  Madison, 
N.J.,  brings  letters,  152;  166,  167;  is 
presented  to  the  Khedive,  170;  tells 
stories,  182;  suggests  surprise  party 
to  Mrs.  Harrison,  193. 

Nichols,  William  H.,  president  of  Manu- 
facturing Chemists  Association,  32, 
33. 

Nicholson,  Brigadier-General  Sir  W.  G., 
Military  Secretary  of  India,  271. 

Olcott,  George,  of  New  York,  211. 
Onativia,  M.,  of  New  York,  wanted  Mr. 

Harrison  to  many  him  to  Mrs.  Jerome, 

184;    his    singular    marriage,  185;   a 

wedding  call,  196. 
Oothout,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  of  New  York, 

90;  presented  to  the  Khedive,  170; 

206. 
Oppenheim,  Count,  92,   111,   172,   175, 

179,  257;  gives  ball,  340. 
Osman,  Prince,  uncle  of  the  Khedive, 

127;  his  death,  178. 


INDEX 


363 


Palmer,  Sir  Elwin,  head  of  the  Caisse  de 
t,   la  Dette,  succeeded  Sir  Edgar  Vincent, 

25,  note;  Lady  Palmer,  98,  110,  169. 
Palmer,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter,  297. 
Paton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas,  of  New 

York,  202. 

Patterson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  306. 
Peck,  Mr.,  of  Chicago,  89;  181;   Mrs. 

Peck,  184. 
Penfield,  former  U.S.  Diplomatic  Agent, 

137. 

Penrose,  Senator,  71. 
Penrose,    Spencer,    brother  of   Senator 

Penrose,  323,  326. 
Pepper,  Dr.  William,  26,  81,  113. 
Perry,  Mr.,  Director-General  of  Cities, 

242. 

Pillsbury,  Mr.,  of  Minneapolis,  303. 
Pontalis,  Madame,  gives  reception,  323. 
Porter,  John  Addison  Porter,  Secretary 

to  the  President,  63. 
Potter,    Countess   Marinka    de    Moro, 

daughter  of  Moro  Phillips,  177. 
Presentation  ceremony  at  Abdin  Palace, 

99. 
Pr6vost,    M.,    of   the    French  Agency, 

leads  cotillion  at  surprise  party,  195. 
Pulitzer,  Mrs.,  calls  at  Agency,  208. 

Quadt,  Count  and  Countess,  27. 

Raben,  Count  and  Countess,  355. 
Ralli,  Madame,  235,  240. 
Rawlinson,  Sir  Henry,  261. 
Rels,  Mr.,  Representative  of  "Reuter." 
Report  by  Mr.  Harrison  to  Assistant 

Secretary  of  State,  121. 
Review  and  award  of  D.S.O.  medals,  295. 
Riaz  Pasha,  former  Premier  under  Tew- 

fik,  plans  a  dinner,  202;  the  dinner, 

217-19. 
Robertson,  coal  transactions  in  re,  10,- 

000  tons  ordered  from  Berwind,  258. 
Robinson,  Miss,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  249. 
Rodd,  Rennell,  153, 230;  Mrs.  Rodd,  324. 
Rojas,  de,  Spanish    Diplomatic  Agent, 

108,  204. 

Rosengarten,  Frank,  11. 
Rosenplanter,  manager  of  immense  oil 

works  in  N.E.  India,  5. 
Ross,  Mrs.  Elmore  W.,  introduced  by 

Mrs.  Amy  Denniston  Perkins,  250. 
Royle,  Judge,  317. 

Saba  Pasha,  Postmaster-General,  202. 
Sabit  Bey,  106. 


Saki,  Dragoman  of  the  Agency;  119. 

Sala,  Count  della,  56,  74;  youthful  fight 
in  Mexico  when  he  served  in  Aus- 
trian Corps,  under  Maximilian,  93, 
note;  proposes  land  scheme  to  Mr. 
Harrison,  173. 

Sala,  Countess  della,  ne'e  Princess  Gaga- 
rine,  109,  112,  138,  149, 164, 184,  196, 
207,  209;  gives  "tea-gown"  dinner, 
227,  228;  245;  shops  with  Mr.  Harri- 
son, 246;  275;  281;  291. 

Sankey,  Mr.,  of  Moody  and  Sankey  fame, 
192. 

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,  Duke  of,  reception 
at  German  Agency  in  honor  of,  170; 
amusing  incident,  179-80;  his  son  at 
Countess  Landberg's  dinner,  180; 
sends  condolences  to  Mr.  Harrison  for 
loss  of  the  "Maine,"  190;  invites  Mr. 
Harrison  to  luncheon,  192;  195;  282; 
283. 

Schuyler,  Mr.,  of  New  York,  calls,  335. 

Seltzer,  Colonel,  introduced  by  Senator 
Penrose,  211. 

Sewell,  of  Minnesota,  introduced  by  Mr. 
Hartman  Kuhn,  297. 

Slatin  Pasha,  141;  story  of  his  nerve, 
286,  301. 

Spain,  war  with,  imminent,  247, 248 ;  calls 
for  European  aid  against  the  United 
States  holding  the  Philippines,  279. 

Spencer,  Mrs.  Lorillard,  154. 

Sproul,  Mr.,  of  Medical  Marine  Depart- 
ment, Washington,  221. 

St.  Aubyn,  Guy  de,  A.D.C.  to  General 
Grenfell,  292. 

Stevenson,  Mrs.  Cornelius,  26,  38,  75, 
81,  148,  152;  presented  to  the  Khedi- 
vehs  by  Mrs.  Harrison,  154,  156,  158; 
entertained  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harri- 
son, 161;  164;  166;  goes  up  the  Nile, 
168;  returns,  200;  sees  Sir  Wm.  Gar- 
stin  with  Mr.  Harrison,  204;  success- 
ful, 205;  241;  251;  "Press"  article,  254. 

Stokes,  James,  brother  of  A.  Phelps 
Stokes,  126-27. 

Strang,  Mr.,  of  American  Mission  at 
Magaga,  115. 

Surprise  party  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harri- 
son, 192. 

Talbot,  Major-General  E.,  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  British  forces  in  Egypt, 
312;  gives  soiree  to  Duke  and  Duchess 
of  Connaught,  339. 

Talbot,  Lady,  324. 


364 


INDEX 


Tattoo,  Military,  interesting  exhibition 
of,  187-88. 

Tewfik-el-Din  Bey  wedding,  58-63. 

Theatricals,  private,  142,  153,  209. 

Thubron,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  invitation  on 
board  of  Mayflower,  224. 

Thurneyssen  Bey,  one  time  with  Maxi- 
milian in  Mexico,  74,  133,  171. 

Tigrane  Pasha,  former  prime  minister, 
opposed  to  British,  111;  133;  Harri- 
sons give  him  a  dinner,  183;  sails  on 
Bohemia,  268;  292;  294. 

Toland,  Mrs.  Robert,  270. 

Tooker,  Mr.,  of  Newport,  Paris,  and  New 
York,  90,  97,  98-114,  132. 

Touhey,  consular  clerk,  71;  trouble 
with,  73;  more  trouble,  101. 

Townsend,  Miss,  305. 

Treffry,  Colonel  and  Mrs.,  168. 

Tuck,  Judge  on  Mixed  Tribunals,  29, 
43,  44,  48,  64,  66,  67,  71,  113,  114, 
143,  145,  159,  165;  audience  with  the 
Khedive,  159;  162;  166;  173;  proposed 
by  Mr.  Harrison  as  alternate  for  him 
on  Commission,  177;  181;  210;  232. 

Tugini,  Count,  Italian  Diplomatic  Agent, 
40,  58,  98,  179,  257. 

Tugini,  Countess,  wife  of  Italian  Diplo- 
matic Agent,  40,  58,  179,  257. 

Turnure,  Lawrence,  of  New  York,  48, 
50;  gives  party  to  Sakkara,  145;  172; 
209;  invites  Mr.  Harrison  to  go  duck 
shooting,  234;  260;  267;  gives  Christ- 
mas dinner,  299. 

Tussun,  Prince  Said,  son  of  Said  Pasha, 
6;  death  of,  128. 

Tussun,  Princess,  an  Englishwoman,  6, 
132. 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  arrives,  171,  173; 
presentation  to  the  Khedive,  awk- 
wardness, 181-90. 

Vinton,  Miss  Eleanor,  friend  of  Mr. 
Angell,  166. 

Wallace,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williamson,  224. 
Walters,  H.,  of    Baltimore,  arrives  on 
yacht  with  party,  246. 


Ware;  Miss,  148. 

Watts,  Ethelbert,  Vicc-Consul-Oeneral, 
6;  death  of  mother-in-law,  Mrs. 
Gregg,  80;  family  goes  up  the  Nile, 
124;  gives  dinner  at  the  club,  236;  goes 
shooting  with  Mr.  Harrison,  237-38; 
goes  shooting  with  Mr.  Lawrence 
Turnure  and  Mr.  Harrison,  294-96; 
at  the  Turnures'  Christmas  dinner, 
299,  302. 

Wendell,  Mr.,  of  Boston,  167. 

Whelen,  Mrs.  Henry,  and  two  daugh- 
ters, 304. 

Whitehead,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  111. 

Willebois,  Van  du  Does  de,  Diplomatic 
Agent  of  Holland,  19;  dinner  at,  144; 
gets  hams  from  Austria,  145;  Dean  of 
Diplomatic  Corps  in  Lord  Cromer's 
absence,  198;  takes  Mrs.  Harrison  in  to 
dinner  at  Fakhri  Pasha's,  208;  gives 
musicale,  323. 

Wilson,  correspondent  of  the  London 
Times,  323. 

Wingate,  Colonel  Sir  Reginald,  and  Lady, 
140,  301. 

Wilson  Pasha,  223. 

Wolff,  Sir  Henry  Drummond,  Envoy 
Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  the  Sultan,  who  negotiated 
with  Ghazi  Mukhtar  Pasha  for  with- 
drawal of  British  troops  from  Egypt, 
50,  note. 

Wurts,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  W.,  at 
Tugini's  dinner,  297. 

Wyart,  Carton  de,  suggested  to  consult 
in  Chaille-Long's  case,  114. 

Wyndham,  Major,  of  21st  Lancers,  215, 
230,  232,  273,  274. 

Zaki    Khalil,    eminent    Arab    lawyer, 

Agency's  first  dragoman,  109. 
Zogheb,     Count,     Danish     Diplomatic 

Agent,     169;     his     daughter     Mile. 

Zogheb,  175-97;  207. 
Zohrab,  General,  254. 
Zulsifer    Ibrahim  Bey,  son  of    famous 

general    under    Mehemet    Ali,    125- 

26. 


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